Arms and Security (Zbroya ta Bezpeka) is Ukraine's premier annual defence and security trade fair, held each September in Kyiv at the International Exhibition Centre. Operating under the patronage of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine since 2004, it is the single largest concentration of Ukrainian defence industry on any exhibition floor, complemented by an expanding cohort of international partners drawn by Ukraine's wartime experience.
Arms and Security (Ukrainian: "Zbroya ta Bezpeka") is an annual international specialised exhibition of weapons, military equipment and security technology held in Kyiv, Ukraine. Organised by the International Exhibition Centre and conducted under the formal patronage of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, the event has taken place every year since its inaugural edition in September 2004. It brings together manufacturers, government procurement authorities, military delegations and allied nations' defence industries. The exhibition is a trade-access event: attendance is restricted to credentialled professionals and official delegations.
The exhibition was established by a 2004 decree of the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine, reflecting the country's strategic decision to develop and showcase a domestic defence industrial base. Over its first decade it grew steadily from a modest national showcase into an internationally attended event. By 2018 it counted 456 Ukrainian participants and 47 foreign exhibitors from 17 countries, with Poland, Turkey and the Czech Republic appearing for the first time. In 2019 the figure was over 320 Ukrainian participants and 48 foreign ones from 16 countries.
The 2020 edition was postponed to June 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions. In 2023 the exhibition was suspended because of the Russian invasion and replaced by a one-day International Defence Industries Forum held in Kyiv on 29 September 2023. The event resumed in 2024, held 28-30 May 2024, and has continued annually, reinforced by wartime urgency and global interest in Ukraine's combat-tested technologies.
The 2026 edition is scheduled for September 2026 at the IEC in Kyiv. Exact dates had not been confirmed as of the date of this fiche. The exhibition is expected to maintain its core proposition: approximately 250 Ukrainian defence enterprises on a single floor, a number that cannot be replicated at any foreign defence exhibition where Ukrainian representation typically runs to 5-15 companies. International partners from allied nations are expected to exhibit alongside domestic companies, continuing the trend of growing Western industrial engagement with the Ukrainian defence sector following the full-scale invasion of 2022.
Arms and Security occupies a unique position as the sole annual national defence show in a country at war. It fills the gap left by the suspension of larger regional fairs and serves as an operational business platform where procurement and co-production discussions take place under live wartime conditions. It is geographically proximate to the conflict zone, which gives it an immediacy and seriousness absent from peacetime exhibitions elsewhere. It is broadly comparable in national significance to MSPO in Poland or IDET in the Czech Republic, though its wartime context makes direct comparison difficult.
Exhibitors are predominantly Ukrainian defence manufacturers spanning small arms, armoured vehicles, drones, communications systems, electronic warfare, munitions, personal protective equipment and dual-use technologies. International exhibitors from partner nations -- including established defence primes and specialist SMEs -- also take space. On the visitor side, the event draws Ukrainian armed forces procurement officers, Ministry of Defence officials, allied military attaches, foreign delegations from NATO and partner nations, and international investors exploring co-production opportunities with Ukrainian industry.
The exhibition is structured around an open display floor at the IEC with indoor and, in some editions, outdoor static display areas. Exhibitors present live hardware alongside brochure-level system information. There are parallel conference and forum sessions where procurement policy, defence-industrial cooperation and export-import frameworks are discussed. Bilateral meeting arrangements between Ukrainian companies and foreign delegations are facilitated by the organiser and by the State Export Control Service of Ukraine.
Key technology areas represented at the exhibition include:
| Exact dates | not disclosed (September 2026) |
| Exhibiting countries | not disclosed |
| Ukrainian exhibitors | not disclosed (approx. 250 in recent editions) |
| Foreign exhibitors | not disclosed |
| Total visitors | not disclosed |
| Venue | International Exhibition Centre, Kyiv |
No. The exhibition is a credentialled trade and professional event. Entry requires registration as an industry representative, government official, or accredited media. Members of the general public are not admitted, reflecting the sensitive nature of the products on display.
It was suspended in 2023 and replaced by a one-day forum. The exhibition resumed in 2024 and has continued since. Security arrangements at the IEC and air-raid shelter protocols are in place for attendees. Participation decisions remain subject to each company's own risk assessment regarding travel to Kyiv.
Ukraine's defence industry has accumulated unparalleled real-world data on the performance of its equipment under active combat conditions. For international defence companies, Arms and Security offers direct access to this knowledge, co-production partnerships and a market that is receiving significant allied funding for defence procurement.
The International Exhibition Centre is located at 15 Brovarskyi Avenue, Kyiv, accessible from Livoberezhna metro station on the Blue Line. It is the largest exhibition complex in Ukraine, with multiple halls offering indoor display space. The venue is managed by IEC itself, which also serves as organiser of Arms and Security. The site includes outdoor areas that can host static vehicle and equipment displays. Capacity in pre-war editions accommodated several hundred exhibiting companies. The IEC operates under wartime security protocols and has continued to host events throughout the conflict.
The International Exhibition Centre (IEC, Ukrainian: Міжнародний виставковий центр) is Ukraine's principal exhibition operator, headquartered at the same Brovarskyi Avenue site as the fair itself. It organises a portfolio of trade fairs across multiple sectors. For Arms and Security, it operates under direct Cabinet of Ministers patronage, which gives the event a quasi-official character and facilitates participation by Ukrainian state-owned defence enterprises and procurement authorities. Contact: zbroya@iec-expo.com.ua.
Arms and Security is the clearest window into Ukraine's defence-industrial ecosystem -- a wartime platform where procurement is not hypothetical and every product on display carries the weight of battlefield validation.
Registration is handled by the IEC organiser via the official event email (zbroya@iec-expo.com.ua) and the IEC website (iec-expo.com.ua). Exhibitor packages, visitor accreditation and official delegation registration are managed separately. Pricing for exhibitor space is not publicly listed and is obtained by direct enquiry. Visitor accreditation for professional attendees is not disclosed as a paid entry; credentialled professionals typically receive complimentary access on application. Foreign delegations should contact the IEC International Affairs team well in advance.
Ukraine is under martial law. Foreign nationals travelling to Kyiv should consult their own government's travel advisory for Ukraine before making arrangements. Visas are required for some nationalities; Ukraine operates an e-visa system. Air access to Kyiv is limited to overland or third-country routing due to the suspension of commercial aviation. Attendees typically travel via train from neighbouring EU countries (Poland, Slovakia, Hungary) or via Chisinau, Moldova.
Yes. The IEC operates standard exhibition security plus wartime protocols including air-raid alert procedures. The venue has shelter facilities. Exhibitors and visitors should familiarise themselves with the alert system and emergency routes on arrival.
Ukraine uses the hryvnia (UAH). Major international cards (Visa, Mastercard) are widely accepted in Kyiv. ATM coverage is good in central Kyiv. Foreign companies exhibiting may face additional administrative requirements for currency exchange and contracting under martial law regulations; engage a local agent or legal counsel in advance.
| Official website | https://arms-security.com.ua/en/ |
| IEC organiser site | https://www.iec-expo.com.ua/en |
| not disclosed | |
| X | not disclosed |
| Register | https://arms-security.com.ua/en/ |
| Programme | not disclosed |