The U.S.-Ukraine Business Council (USUBC) was proud to partner in the Welcome Day Reception that launched the III International Defence Industry Forum – DFNC³ in Kyiv. Held on Sunday, 5 October 2025, the event brought together senior Ukrainian officials, international partners, and defense industry leaders for high-level networking ahead of the Forum’s official sessions.
The Reception was organized by the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine, the Office of the President of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, in cooperation with the Ukrainian Council of Defense Industry, USUBC and USUBC members – Kinstellar and GardaWorld.
Distinguished guests in attendance included Oleksandr Kamyshin, Advisor to the President of Ukraine on Strategic Industries; Sergiy Boyev, Deputy Minister of Defense; Hanna Hvozdiar, Deputy Minister of Defense; Herman Smetanin, CEO, Ukrainian Defense Industry JST (UkrOboronProm); and Ihor Fedirko, CEO, Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry (UCDI).
Welcoming remarks were delivered by Eric P. Luhmann, Chair of the USUBC Executive Committee; Greg Fishman, Secretary-Treasurer of USUBC and Co-Lead of the USUBC Defense Working Group and Daniel Bilak, Partner at Kinstellar and Co-Lead of the USUBC Defense Working Group. They underscored the critical role of public-private collaboration in strengthening Ukraine’s defense industrial base.
A highlight of the evening was a moving performance by the Cultural Forces musical ensemble – a unique group of professional artists who joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the onset of the full-scale invasion.
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