All companies receiving state money have signed non‑disclosure agreements with the Estonian Center for Defense Investments (RKIK), Veskimägi said on an ERR webcast.

"But I definitely think this should be public. I don't see any reason why it shouldn't or couldn't be public," he said.

"There is a clear effect here: Estonian products go to Ukraine using Estonian taxpayers' money. By sending these products to Ukraine, we actually finish them there, because every defense industry product is ultimately completed on the battlefield. And if one day we need them here in Estonia, we won't be dealing with prototypes. We will get products from Estonian companies that have been tested in Ukraine and have earned their combat credentials there," Veskimägi said.

"And when our own boys and girls have to use them, we know it's something reliable, something we can trust. So the more Estonian companies benefit from this measure, the more Estonia benefits, the more our defense capability benefits, and the more Estonian companies benefit," he added.

In September, the Ministry of Defense said it would not disclose which Estonian companies received financial support to help Ukraine, citing security concerns. In 2025 and 2026, Estonia purchased €200 million worth of Estonian defense industry products for Ukraine.

Veskimägi said all interested parties, including Russia, will find out who these companies are anyway.

"The only ones who don't know today are the general public, and because of that we lack an understanding of what capabilities we have sent to Ukraine for €100 million. Are these capabilities and technologies also needed for Estonia's defense? Does one company receive most of the funding, or is it distributed among many companies, which would be in the interest of Estonia's defense industry sector? Then we could have a public discussion about it, as well as a professional discussion between the Estonian Defense Industry Association and the Ministry of Defense about what kind of defense industry we actually want to develop in Estonia and whether this Ukraine measure supports that development," Veskimägi said.

Veskimägi said dozens of Estonian defense industry products have proven themselves on the battlefield in Ukraine.

The state should help ensure the security of defense companies

Veskimägi said Estonia has 260 defense companies. "Estonian defense industry companies today offer many technologies for many capabilities," he said.

Speaking about the arson attack on Milrem's production building, Veskimägi said defense companies have been aware of such risks for years and have made their own risk plans. "But the Milrem incident once again highlighted that this is something that cannot be ignored, must be addressed and must be invested in," he said.

"As a result, we agreed with security agencies to increase security briefings for companies and make them more frequent. I believe companies themselves will invest even more in their security systems, especially perimeter security. It was bad, but in some ways a necessary wake‑up call for our companies that this is something that must be dealt with," Veskimägi said.

Since most defense companies cannot ensure high‑level security on their own, Veskimägi said the state should step in.

"If the state sees — and the current coalition has said that defense industry and its development are priorities, which is a prominent part of the coalition agreement — then the state must provide support and guidance. Security agencies must support these companies by giving them a clear picture of the threats around us, because companies are simply not capable of doing this themselves in most cases, and they also lack the money to do it," Veskimägi said.

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