According to the French 24-hour rolling news channel, BFM TV, there is growing concern among Renault staff about possible drone production in France or Ukraine, as first suggested by the government in June.

The channel, one of France’s most-watched news channels similar to CNN or Sky News, quoted a Force Ouvrière union representative saying: “Many employees told us, they signed up to make cars, not weapons.”

The union fears it could stir up emotions among French, Ukrainian, and Russian nationals working side by side in Renault’s factories and make Renault a military target.

Renault has confirmed that it was approached by France’s Ministry of the Armed Forces to explore the possibility of manufacturing drones. The company clearly stated: “Discussions have taken place, but no decision has been taken at this stage, as we are awaiting further details on this project from the ministry.”

First leaked in June

The latest broadcast this week elaborates further on the news that leaked in June, when the French Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu had mentioned a “completely unprecedented” collaboration between a large civilian company and a defense SME to build military drones.

The idea would be to set up production lines for most likely small/mid tactical, reconnaissance, and attack drones, especially in Ukraine, tens or hundreds of kilometers from the front, to make the site less vulnerable to Russian attacks.

The French SME (small-to-medium enterprise) Turgis et Gaillard is reportedly set to supply the drone technology for the proposed factory in Ukraine. They are already developing the AAROK drone, a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) platform intended for surveillance, reconnaissance, and potentially strike missions.

Industrializing, not developing

Based on all the French and international reporting so far, Renault’s role in drone building would not be about inventing or designing drones, but about industrializing and scaling their production.

Minister Sébastien Lecornu reiterated that production would be handled by Ukrainians, who are considered the most adept at both building drones and devising the operational tactics behind them. There’s no intention to send French workers to the factories.

Still, there is concern among Renault staff for the consequences that, within Renault’s existing facilities, the multilingual, multinational workforce could experience internal strains if production priorities shift.

According to BFM TV, some are concerned that while Renault is a civilian automaker today, if it starts building drones for Ukraine, it would cross into defense production and could become a military target.

This would make Renault’s digital infrastructure a legitimate target for hostile cyber actors, especially Russia-linked hacker groups known for retaliating against companies supporting Ukraine.

Partially government-controlled

Could the French government put pressure on Renault to enter the drone production market? Renault is only partially state-controlled by the French government, but it’s an influential minority stake (approximately 15%) rather than full government ownership.

The French carmaker once had a strong presence in Russia. However, in response to the invasion of Ukraine, Renault suspended operations in Russia by March 2022 and sold its stake in AvtoVAZ (67–68%) for a symbolic 1 rouble, which resulted in a nearly €2.2 billion writedown.

The deal included a six-year option to repurchase. As of 2025, Renault has not resumed operations in Russia and has officially stated that it has no plans to return under the current conditions.

To activate the buyback clause, Renault would need to repay at least 112.5 billion roubles (some $1.3 billion), representing investments made by AvtoVAZ since Renault’s exit, according to Business Insider.

Multiple roadblocks make a return unlikely, including challenging legal hurdles, bureaucratic obstacles, reputational risks, local competition (especially from Chinese firms that occupy over 50% of the market), and a hostile regulatory environment. Russia’s government has also labeled encouraging foreign companies to return as “ill-advised,” favoring domestic substitutes.