“Tens of millions of euros stayed in Ukraine and gave local manufacturers the opportunity to grow.” Blitz interview with Helsing’s Managing Director in Ukraine Andrii Shevchenko
On July 12, 2026, Helsing appointed Andrii Shevchenko as its managing director in Ukraine. The announcement noted that he joined the company during a period of expansion of its operations in Ukraine.
Helsing — a German defense company founded in Munich in 2021 — initially developed AI-based software for battlefield data analysis and decision support for the military.
Later the company expanded into manufacturing its own systems. These include loitering munitions (kamikaze drones), autonomous underwater vehicles and unmanned aircraft that can operate together with crewed aviation.
AIN spoke with Andrii Shevchenko and learned about his plans in the role, Helsing’s investments in Ukrainian manufacturers and the changes in state policy needed for the defense industry.
You worked as a diplomat, a member of parliament and as a deputy defense minister. Why did you decide to move specifically to a private defense tech company?
For me it is not a career change but its continuation. In recent years — in diplomacy, at the Ministry of Defense and in other projects — my work has been directed at one task in one way or another: Ukraine’s success.
The private sector provides what the state apparatus often lacks — speed and the ability to measure impact by results rather than processes. In defense tech this is especially noticeable: you see a need, find a solution and can quite quickly see the result of your work.
The decisive factor for me was that the offer came from Helsing. Several things attracted me to the company: fast decision-making, a focus on talent and a very clear understanding of its purpose.
I was also drawn to Helsing’s mission — the company was founded on the conviction that technology, and above all artificial intelligence (AI), should work to protect democratic countries. For me this has a direct link to what I did previously.
So the tool is changing, but the goal for me remains the same — a successful, strong Ukraine.
What will your main responsibilities be as Helsing’s managing director in Ukraine?
In short — coordination of all of Helsing’s activities in Ukraine. That is our presence, our efficiency, our strategy and our risks.
It is important that this is a new position for Helsing; the company created it in view of the special role Ukraine plays in its work today.
Helsing has been present in Ukraine practically since the start of the full-scale invasion, and our task now is to make this work as systematic as possible.
For us as a European defense company it is critical to be here in Ukraine, to maintain contact with users, to quickly respond to their feedback and requests, to understand employment concepts, the dynamics of the war, and the opponent’s next moves and countermeasures.
We employ leading global engineers and are trusted by investors, so Helsing has the “muscle” to develop and implement cutting-edge defense technologies. But it is Ukrainian military personnel who must say where these efforts should be applied and what modern warfare demands. My role is to establish and maintain that connection.
This is especially important for our mid-strike drone HX-2, because the development of such systems requires constant interaction with users and a deep understanding of how the modern battlefield is changing.
HX-2 drone / Helsing
What goals have you set for yourself at the company in the near term?
For the company as a whole our priority remains the development of autonomous systems. At the core of all Helsing’s technological solutions and products is AI-based software that continuously expands their capabilities.
HX-2 best demonstrates this approach. For us it is not a static product but a system that constantly evolves together with the software. We have already come very close to fully autonomous missions in combat conditions: the corresponding software is already available to military users. The next task, as the military put it, is to “refine” and scale it.
For me personally this is above all a period of deep immersion. I listen more than I speak, observe more than I try to change things immediately. It is important for me to fully understand the team, the products and all processes from the inside.
Is Helsing planning to invest its own funds in the Ukrainian defense industry? If so, in which areas or to what scale?
We are already doing that. When Helsing entered Ukraine with its first product — the medium-range strike drone HF-1 — the company invested significant funds into contracts with Ukrainian manufacturers. Practically all components of the system were produced in Ukraine while the software was developed directly by Helsing.
HF-1 drone / Julian Roepcke, X
Overall we are talking about several tens of millions of euros. That money stayed in Ukraine and gave local manufacturers the opportunity to develop, scale up production and increase their capabilities. So we view this not only as contracts around a specific product but as an investment in the development of the Ukrainian defense ecosystem.
For us it is important to be part of ecosystem-level initiatives such as Drone Deal and Build with Ukraine. We highly value the experience of Ukrainian manufacturers and definitely aim to move together to strengthen the security of Ukraine and all of Europe.
Drone Deal — a new format of cooperation in the security sphere that Ukraine offers to foreign partners. It is about a comprehensive system for protection against mass drone and missile attacks that Ukraine formed during the full-scale war with Russia.
According to Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Davyd Aloyan, Ukraine has already signed six such agreements in recent months. They have been joined by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Azerbaijan, as well as NATO countries — Latvia and Lithuania.
One of the latest countries to conclude such agreements with Ukraine is Estonia.
Build with Ukraine is a form of cooperation that implies creating production or parts of production in partner countries using Ukrainian technologies and engineering expertise.
This program was announced by President Volodymyr Zelensky in June 2025 and has since led Ukrainian companies to sign agreements with a number of foreign countries. Among them are Germany, Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom, Sweden, the United States, Canada and others.
Is the company considering, for example, localizing production of certain systems or components in Ukraine?
We already have some localization, and it is a very important direction for development.
At the same time, speaking about HX-2, it is important for us to guarantee mass, uninterrupted and high-quality production — something our manufacturing capacities in Germany provide.
What scale of investment in the development of the Ukrainian direction is the company prepared to consider in the near future?
For me it is more important to talk about the approach rather than specific numbers. For Helsing Ukraine is a long-term direction, not the story of a single contract.
Investment logic will follow results, not the other way around. The volume of investments will be linked to the scale of contracts and the trust our products will confirm through their performance on the battlefield.
How strategic is the Ukrainian market for Helsing? Is it one of many directions or one of the main ones?
Ukraine is definitely not just one of many directions for Helsing. We have been operating here since 2022, directly with Ukrainian military and the defense industry. Thousands of HX-2s are already used by the Defense Forces of Ukraine on the battlefield. It is a high-precision medium-range strike drone that combines speed, good flight characteristics, autonomous terminal guidance and on-board artificial intelligence (AI).
One of HX-2’s key features is its software, which provides the system’s autonomous functions and continues to improve.
Our co-founder Gundbert Sherf put it very plainly: “Ukraine is part of Helsing.” For me that is perhaps the most accurate definition of the company’s attitude toward Ukraine.
Does the company plan to further expand its presence in Ukraine? How might that happen?
Yes. My appointment as managing director in Ukraine is part of that process.
It is important that we are not starting from scratch: Helsing already has a strong team in Ukraine — with very good expertise and experience working in the Ukrainian defense sector. It works directly with the military, partners and representatives of the Ukrainian defense industry.
We are talking about a long-term presence that is not limited to a single product or contract. If I had to name the main priority here in one word, it would be trust. In the defense sphere trust carries special weight. Strong technology alone is not enough; you must understand the context in which it operates, listen to those who use it and have the reputation of a partner you can rely on.
In April Helsing announced cooperation with Culver Aerospace. What stage is it at today?
Helsing and Culver Aerospace agreed on joint drone production. That agreement was concluded under the Build with Ukraine initiative, and teams are now working on its practical implementation.
For us this project is also important because it demonstrates the cooperation model Helsing wants to develop in Ukraine: combining our technologies and competencies with the experience of Ukrainian companies.
This is no longer just supplying a finished product but an industrial partnership with Ukrainian partners.
Do you plan to enter into new partnerships with Ukrainian manufacturers? Perhaps some deals are being prepared now?
Yes, definitely. We are interested in new partnerships with Ukrainian companies.
Over the years of the large-scale war a very strong defense tech ecosystem has formed here — with a deep understanding of military needs, strong engineering expertise and the ability to quickly create and scale technological solutions. These are exactly the competencies Helsing looks for in partners.
At the same time it is important that Ukrainian companies see us above all as partners and not only in investment or technological terms. Helsing, like most Ukrainian companies, is changing the Western arms market, making it more open to unmanned systems and innovation. In other words, we are writing these new rules of the game together.
And while Ukraine has simplified many procedures for codification, procurement and weapons acceptance, the requirements of state customers in Alliance countries still remain quite high, sometimes insurmountable for new players. That is why our experience and synergy with Ukrainian manufacturers are very important here.
By what criteria does Helsing choose Ukrainian companies for cooperation?
There are several things we look at.
First — the technological maturity of the solution and its compatibility with Helsing’s software architecture. This is particularly important for us because we are building not a set of separate products but a system in which different sensors, platforms and lethality means can work together.
A good example is Altra, Helsing’s software platform for coordinating ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) and strike. It aggregates information from various sources into one operational picture and helps link the entire cycle — from detection and target identification to task allocation and engagement.
Importantly, Altra is built to integrate new capabilities. So when we choose a potential partner, we care not only about the quality of a single product but also about how compatible it is with this architecture.
Second — the ability to reliably scale production. Helsing is a company with big ambitions, so when evaluating a potential partner we look not only at what they can produce today but at their growth potential.
Third — proven trust from military users. There is a simple test question here: does the product meet a real military need. For us this is fundamental: technological complexity by itself is not valuable if it does not give the military a tangible advantage in accomplishing the mission.
Which Helsing solutions are currently most in demand in Ukraine? Which ones are frequently requested?
Our flagship product in Ukraine today is HX-2. Since the start of 2026 thousands of these systems have already been deployed with the Defense Forces of Ukraine. Over the past nine months the product has undergone significant improvements.
HX-2’s potential range is up to 100 kilometers, while in daily operations the Defense Forces of Ukraine mostly use it at distances of 50–80 kilometers.
The system is used in the “Logistics lockdown” program, aimed at systematically disrupting Russian logistics in the operational depth — supply routes, equipment and other sustainment elements. The goal of this program is to systematically limit the enemy’s ability to supply its troops with resources and conduct active assault operations.
At the same time we see significant potential for further HX-2 development. The next step is integration with other systems within a reconnaissance-strike complex.
Helsing’s capabilities are much broader than a single product. We have already presented a number of other technological solutions and concepts to the Ukrainian side, but I cannot disclose details at this time.
What technological directions are currently priorities for Helsing?
The company’s main focus is artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems for different defense domains.
In aviation, for example, we are developing CA-1 Europa — an autonomous fighter whose core is Centaur, our AI system for autonomous air combat.
CA-1 Europa / Helsing
In the maritime domain we are developing Lura — an AI software platform for persistent underwater surveillance, as well as SG-1 Fathom — an autonomous underwater glider. Together they use artificial intelligence and swarms of autonomous systems to detect underwater threats and protect critical infrastructure.
SG-1 Fathom + Lura / Helsing
In space, together with OHB we created KIRK — a joint venture developing a tactical space surveillance, reconnaissance and targeting system that uses AI to detect and identify targets.
Thus Helsing simultaneously develops technologies for the air, land, maritime and space domains. Common to all these directions is the use of AI and autonomy as the basis of the next generation of defense systems.
You know the Ukrainian state system well and now will work in a private company. In your opinion, what most limits the development of Ukrainian defense tech today?
Looking more broadly than Helsing alone, one of the main challenges for Ukrainian defense tech is the ability of companies not only to create strong products but to continuously develop and improve them.
You can come to market today with a wunderwafflean ironic name from the German word Wunderwaffe (wonder-weapon). The term denotes equipment that in practice often turns out to be unnecessary or ineffective, but if you stop after that, in three to six months your product will already be obsolete. Competitors who may have started from a worse position but continued to learn all this time will be far ahead.
Therefore one of the key things for defense tech today is not just the ability to create a strong product but to build a continuous cycle of learning and improvement. The speed of that cycle increasingly determines who will have the technological advantage.
What changes in regulation or state policy does the defense industry need most today?
If companies today need the ability to constantly evolve and remain competitive, then the state needs an understanding of what the Ukrainian defense industry should look like in the future. A picture of the future is needed, and the state must help assemble it.
One of my observations after initial conversations in the Ukrainian market: perhaps the biggest fear of Ukrainian defense companies is that one day the war will end, they will be told “thank you,” and then their work will be done by large foreign companies. This question is not only about regulation or specific state programs. It is about the place the Ukrainian defense industry will occupy after the war.
And here, in my view, Helsing can play an important role. I see our task as establishing two-way movement: bringing the world’s best defense technologies to Ukraine to strengthen its capabilities today, while at the same time creating opportunities for Ukrainian companies and engineers to be not only suppliers or subcontractors but co-creators of the weapons of the future.
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