Like something straight out of a spy movie, lots of cloak and dagger was required before AFP could meet three Ukrainian drone manufacturers on the fringes of a hush-hush defence forum in Paris earlier this month.
A rendezvous was set up on a bench near the Champs-Elysees, and a hint of Russian being spoken nearby prompted a quick change of hotel lounge at another interview.
kAm%96 6IA6CE:D6 &<C2:?6 92D 9@?65 H:E9 >249:?6D E92E 92G6 EC2?D7@C>65 E96 32EE=67:6=5 2?5 =67E tFC@A62? 2C>:6D EC2:=:?8 :? E96:C E649?@=@8:42= H2<6[ :D 9:89=J D@F89E 27E6C[ H:E9 E96:C :>A24E AC@G65 282:? :? E96 |:55=6 t2DE H2C]Â k^Am
kAmQ(96? x E2=< E@ tFC@A62?D @C p>6C:42?D[ E96J <?@H G6CJ =:EE=6Q 23@FE E96D6 5C@?6D[ D2:5 ~=6I2?5C[ 2? 6?8:?66C AC@5F4:?8 &<C2:?6VD Q=2C86DE DEC:<6 5C@?6Q[ E96 !6CF? |2I]k^Am
kAmQ(6 H2?E E@ D66 9@H 4@F?EC:6D E92E 92G6 DFAA@CE65 FD[ DF49 2D uC2?46[ 42? 36?67:E 7C@> @FC 6IA6C:6?46[Q 96 25565]k^Am
kAm|256 2E D64C6E =@42E:@?D 24C@DD &<C2:?6 3J q2G@G?2[ E96 !6CF? |2I 42? 42CCJ QE9C66 AC@;64E:=6D[ 5C@A E96> @? E2C86ED[ C6EFC?[ C6=@25 2?5 E2<6 @77 282:?[Q >2<:?8 FA E@ b_ D@CE:6D 2 ?:89E[ 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 5C@?6 42? EC2?DA@CE =@25D @7 ba <:=@D @G6C ad <:=@>6EC6D W`d >:=6DX \\ 7@@5[ H2E6C 2?5 >65:4:?6 7@C D@=5:6CD :? E96 EC6?496D \\ @C =627=6ED E6==:?8 A6@A=6 Q9@H E@ DFCC6?56C AC@A6C=J 2?5 DE2J 2=:G6Q :? 2C62D H96C6 E96 #FDD:2?D 2C6 25G2?4:?8]k^Am
kAmq2G@G?2 >2<6D `[___ 5C@?6D A6C >@?E9[ 4@DE:?8 36EH66? f[___ 2?5 a_[___ 6FC@D]k^Am
kAmp?5 E96 DJDE6> 42? DH:E49 7C@> v!$ E@ @AE:42= ?2G:82E:@?[ 7=J:?8 H:E9 E96 2?E6??2 4FE @77 7@C FA E@ a_ <:=@>6EC6D]k^Am
k9am\ %H@ 32EE2=:@?D V?6FEC2=:D65V \k^9am
kAm  k^Am
kAm$<J72== \\ H9@D6 ?2>6 :D 2 ?@5 E@ E96 q@?5 7:=> \\ 2=D@ 3682? =:76 H96? #FDD:2 :?G2565 :? a_aa 2?5 7@FC 6?8:?66CD >6E FA :? 2 82C286 E@ 3F:=5 2 5C@?6 42A23=6 @7 >@?:E@C:?8 24E:G:EJ @G6C zJ:G]k^Am
kAm%96J D@@? 564:565 E@ 255 2 Q5C@AA:?8Q 42A23:=:EJ[ 4C62E:?8 '2>A:C6[ H9:49 3@>3D[ =2JD >:?6D C6>@E6=J 2?5 EC2?DA@CED 3=@@5 @C 86?6C2E@CD]k^Am
kAm'2>A:C6 C6A@CE65=J E@@< A2CE :? }p%~ 6I6C4:D6D :? |2J a_ad :? tDE@?:2[ 5FC:?8 H9:49 `_ &<C2:?:2? 5C@?6 @A6C2E@CD Q?6FEC2=:D65Q `f 2C>@FC65 G69:4=6D 2?5 EH@ 6?6>J 32EE2=:@?D[ E96 (2== $EC66E y@FC?2= D2:5]Â k^Am
kAm%96 Q5C@?6 D<JQ C6?56CD E96 32EE=67:6=5 EC2?DA2C6?E[ H96C6 >6? 2?5 2C>@FC65 G69:4=6D 364@>6 E2C86ED 2D D@@? 2D E96J G6?EFC6 :?E@ ?@ >2?VD =2?5[ uC6?49 >:=:E2CJ @77:4:2=D 2?5 6IA6CED D2:5]k^Am
kAmQp uC6?49 F?:E 56A=@J65 E@52J @? E96 &<C2:?:2? 7C@?E 282:?DE E96 #FDD:2? 2C>J H@F=5 86E E9@C@F89=J 92>>6C65] (6 >FDE 7@==@H E96 &<C2:?:2? 2C>JVD 6I2>A=6 :7 H6 H2?E E@ DE2J :? E96 82>6[Q D2:5 r@=@?6= |:496= v@J2[ 2 7@C>6C uC6?49 >2C:?6 @77:46C 2?5 >@56C? 4@?7=:4E 2?2=JDE]k^Am
kAmuC2?46 :D D6E E@ C62DD:8? d[___ @7 ff[___ 8C@F?5 7@C46 EC@@AD E@ 5C@?6\C6=2E65 24E:G:E:6D]k^Am
kAmu2465 H:E9 >2DD\AC@5F465 AC@5F4ED H9:49 2C6 Q56D:8?65 E@ H62C 5@H? @FC 42A23:=:E:6D]]] H6 ?665 DJDE6>D H9:49 2C6 ;FDE 2D >2DD:G6[ :?6IA6?D:G6[ 2?5 62DJ E@ AC@5F46[Q D2:5 v6?6C2= qCF?@ q2C2EK[ 9:?E:?8 D@>6 :? E96 uC6?49 >:=:E2CJ 9:6C2C49J 2C6 C6=F4E2?E E@ >2<6 E96 =62A]k^Am
kAmq2DE:6? |2?4:?:[ rt~ @7 uC6?49 5C@?6 >2?F724EFC6C s6=2:C D6E FA 2 7:C> :? &<C2:?6 2?5 ?@H DFAA=:6D 5C@?6D E@ E96 uC6?49 >:=:E2CJ]k^Am
kAmQ%9C66 J62CD 28@ @FC 5C@?6D H6C6 36:?8 D9@E 5@H? 3J #FDD:2? >:DD:=6D E92E 4@DE >F49 >@C6j E@52J E96J 2C6 36:?8 D9@E 5@H? 3J >F49 4962A6C DJDE6>D[Q 96 E@=5 pu!]k^Am
k9am\ Vx?E6==:86?E >249:?6 8F?V \k^9am
kAm$9C:<6[ 2?@E96C D>2== u!' 5C@?6 7C@> $<J72== A:=@E65 G:2 2? @?3@2C5 42>6C2[ 4@DED ;FDE Sd__] xED >2<6CD 3@2DE :E H2D E96 7:CDE E@ QD9@@E 5@H? 2 S`_ >:==:@? W#FDD:2?X |:\g 96=:4@AE6C :? >:5\7=:89E]Qk^Am
kAmQ%96D6 5C@?6D 92G6 56DEC@J65 6?6>J 6BF:A>6?E H@CE9 D6G6C2= 3:==:@?] (6 42? AC@5F46 @G6C 2 >:==:@? @7 E96> 2 J62C[Q 2 $<J72== DA@<6D>2? 4=2:>65]k^Am
kAmp E9:C5 >@56=[ E96 !`\$F? :?E6C46AE@C ?:4<?2>65 !:D:F? WA6?:DX[ Q92D 2=C625J 56DEC@J65 D@>6 a[d__ WxC2?:2?\56D:8?65X $92965D 2?5 `[d__ @E96C 26C:2= E2C86ED[Q 96 25565]k^Am
kAmQ%96 AC:@C:EJ C6>2:?D E96 5676?46 @7 &<C2:?6[Q Â 96 :?D:DE65[ H9:49 :D H9J zJ:G >FDE 2AAC@G6 2?J :?E6C?2E:@?2= =:?<\FAD]k^Am
kAmqFE Q:E H@F=5 36 8@@5 :7 E96 H9@=6 H@C=5 D2H E92E &<C2:?:2? D@=FE:@?D 5@?VE ;FDE H@C< :? &<C2:?6]Qk^Am
kAm%96 z9JK92< W!C652E@CX DJDE6>[ 6BF:AA65 H:E9 2 f]ea >> >249:?6 8F?[ H2D 7:CDE 56G6=@A65 3J &<C2:?6VD &v' #@3@E:4D 7@C E96 |28FC2 ?2G2= DFC7246 5C@?6D H9:49 92G6 DF?< @C 52>2865 D6G6C2= #FDD:2? H2CD9:AD :? E96 q=24< $62]k^Am
kAm%96 :562 @7 QEFC?:?8 2 D:>A=6 >249:?6 8F? :?E@ 2 D>2CE H62A@?Q 92D ?@H 366? 6IE6?565 E@ D9@@E:?8 5@H? 5C@?6D :? 7=:89E[Q D2:5 s>JEC@ qFC2<@G @7 &v']k^Am
kAmQ(6VG6 :?DE2==65 E96 DJDE6> @? |:\g 2?5 p:C3FD 96=:4@AE6CD 2?5 E92EVD 9@H H6VC6 ?@H D9@@E:?8 5@H? $92965D[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmp7E6C E2=<:?8 E@ pu![ 96 CFD965 @77 E@ 2 >66E:?8 H:E9 p:C3FD w6=:4@AE6CD[ H9@ 2C6 56G6=@A:?8 E96:C @H? >@C6 D@A9:DE:42E65 5C@?6D[ H:E9 D@>6 b_ A=2??65 7@C E9:D J62C 2?5 EH:46 E92E ?F>36C 3J a_af]k^Am
kAm%96 rt~ @7 v6C>2? E2?< 8:2?E #96:?>6E2== DA2C<65 2 C@H =2DE >@?E9 3J E2<:?8 2 A@A 2E zJ:GVD 5C@?6D[ D2J:?8 E96J H6C6 36:?8 >256 3J Q&<C2:?:2? 9@FD6H:G6DQ \\ E9@F89 pC>:? !2AA6C86C =2E6C H2=<65 324< E96 C6>2C<D]k^Am
kAmQx7 &<C2:?:2? 5C@?6D >256 3J 9@FD6H:G6D 2C6 56DEC@J:?8 E2?<D[ E96? E96 6C2 @7 9@FD6H:G6D :D 96C6[Q BF:AA65 E96 $<J72== DA@<6D>2?[ 7FCE96C AC@@7 @7 9@H E96 @=5 5676?46 :?5FDECJ :D C2EE=65]k^Am
kAm?6@^:4@^G65^=AE^4H^78k^Am
