Verkhovna Rada exempts fibre optic cable for drone production from VAT and customs

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine has passed in second reading and in full bills No. 13305 and No. 13306, which provide for exemption from VAT and import duty on fibre optic cable imported for drone production. MPs also supported the Speaker’s instruction to sign the bills immediately and submit them to the President for signature. The voting results have been published on the parliament’s official website.

Exempting fibre optic cable from taxation will lower the cost of manufacturing such drones and enable more efficient delivery of high-tech solutions to the Defence Forces. As most optical components are still sourced from abroad, simplifying import procedures has a direct impact on production efficiency.

Drones controlled not by radio signal but via fibre optic cable are resistant to electronic warfare systems, which are widely used to jam the signals of conventional FPV drones at the front. Cable-based communication prevents signal interception or suppression and ensures stable real-time video transmission.