Dnipropetrovsk Investment Agency (DIA) has prepared an overview of the international cooperation of Ukraine and Dnipropetrovsk region amid the aggression of the russian federation. The material focuses on the support of Italy and foreign trade indicators based on DIABASE data.
Throughout 2025–2026, Italy remained one of Ukraine’s key partners in the European Union, combining military, humanitarian, financial and political support. The government of Giorgia Meloni consistently reaffirmed the unchanged course of assistance to Ukraine, regarding it as an important element of European security and of the international legal order. Italy’s support covered the supply of defence equipment, the training of Ukrainian service members, humanitarian programmes, the restoration of critical infrastructure, the promotion of economic development and participation in international mechanisms of post-war reconstruction.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Italy has transferred twelve packages of military assistance to Ukraine. These included modern air defence systems, in particular a SAMP/T battery, Skyguard and Aspide anti-aircraft systems, artillery systems, armoured vehicles, ammunition, electronic warfare equipment, engineering equipment and other military property. The total value of the military assistance exceeded €3 billion. At the same time, Italy emphasised that it does not disclose the full list of the transferred weapons for security reasons.
Over the past year, Italy confirmed its readiness to continue providing Ukraine with military assistance. At the end of 2025, the government adopted a decision to extend the mechanism for providing military support until the end of 2026. This decision became an important signal of political stability and confirmed that, despite domestic political debates, Rome is not abandoning its international commitments to Ukraine. Italy’s military assistance to Ukraine in 2026 will increase and reach approximately €1.7 billion.
An important component of the support remained the training of Ukrainian service members. Italy takes part in the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine), providing specialised courses in tactical medicine, engineering training, the operation of modern weapons, air defence and command training. Italian military training centres continued to receive Ukrainian service members throughout 2025–2026, and the country remains one of the active participants in the European system of training the Ukrainian army.
Along with military support, Italy devoted considerable attention to humanitarian assistance. Through the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation, international organisations and bilateral programmes, funding was provided for the supply of medical equipment, medicines, mobile power plants, generators and humanitarian cargoes, as well as for projects supporting Ukrainian hospitals and social welfare institutions. Individual programmes were aimed at providing the population with drinking water, electricity and heat supply after russian attacks on critical infrastructure.
The Italian Republic also continued the implementation of its own reconstruction programmes. Particular attention was paid to the restoration of cultural heritage, medical facilities, water supply systems and social infrastructure facilities. Italian state institutions and companies are actively involved in the preparation of investment projects, and the government encourages the participation of private business in the future reconstruction of Ukraine through mechanisms of risk insurance, financial guarantees and concessional lending.
An important element of the bilateral partnership remains economic cooperation. Italy supports Ukraine’s integration into the single European market, the development of small and medium-sized business, the modernisation of industry and the attraction of Italian investment into the Ukrainian economy. Italian companies show particular interest in projects in the fields of mechanical engineering, energy, the agro-industrial complex, logistics, construction and the processing industry. These areas have been identified as promising for a long-term partnership in the process of the country’s reconstruction.
In the international arena, Italy consistently supported the sanctions policy of the European Union towards russia, the use of revenues from frozen russian assets to support Ukraine, further military assistance and Ukraine’s European integration. At the same time, official Rome emphasised that peace must be based exclusively on respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine and must comply with the norms of international law.
At the same time, the Italian Republic provided assistance directly to the Dnipropetrovsk region. One of the most concrete results was the participation of the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation in the restoration of the rehabilitation department of the Municipal Non-Profit Enterprise “Regional Medical Centre of Family Health” of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council. With the support of the Italian side, five wards designed for 16 patients were modernised. Utility systems in the premises were replaced, repairs were carried out, and air conditioners and bactericidal lamps for air disinfection were installed. The wards were also equipped with multifunctional beds with orthopaedic mattresses. This made it possible to improve the conditions for the treatment and recovery of patients, in particular service members and civilians who require long-term rehabilitation.
An important area was the professional adaptation of war veterans. At the Kryvyi Rih Resilience Centre, with the participation of the Italian chef Paolo Brescia and the Association of Restaurateurs of Southern Italy, a master class on Italian cuisine and the organisation of restaurant business was held. The event became part of a comprehensive programme of retraining, education and subsequent employment of defenders. Similar sessions are also planned in Dnipro, Samar and Pavlohrad. It was envisaged that the veterans who demonstrate the best results will be able to continue their studies in Rome and receive an opportunity for employment in the Italian restaurant sector.
The establishment of direct partnership between communities was of particular importance. The city of Pereshchepyne of Samarivskyi district signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Italian municipality of Capaci. At the initial stage, the parties agreed to develop cultural exchanges. At the same time, the possibility of organising health recovery stays in Italy for children from the Dnipropetrovsk region was discussed, in particular programmes for their physical and psychological recovery. In the future, the partnership is planned to be extended to economic and investment cooperation.
Italy is an important foreign trade partner of the region, and ranks 8th among the exporter countries and 8th among the importer countries of the world. According to the results of nine months of 2025, the volume of exports of goods from the Dnipropetrovsk region amounted to $191.4 million and decreased by 1% compared to the corresponding period of 2024. Italian enterprises are most interested in ferrous metals and articles thereof, ores and slag, fats and vegetable oil and others.
100 enterprises of the Dnipropetrovsk region exported their products to the Italian market; these are enterprises of the mining and metallurgical complex, the agro-industrial complex, as well as machine-building, food and processing companies.
Imports of goods from Italy to the Dnipropetrovsk region increased by 9% compared to the corresponding period of 2024 and amounted to $137.8 million.
490 importing enterprises of the region purchased pharmaceutical products, machinery and equipment, ferrous metals, prepared cereal products, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and others.
Import operations were mainly carried out by enterprises of the food and processing industry, as well as trading and pharmaceutical companies.
Source: information for preparing the article was taken from open online sources
