Ukraine will receive 30,000 new drones from the United Kingdom and its allies as part of the Drone Coalition initiative, according to a press release from the UK government.
UK Defense Minister John Healy announced this alongside Latvian Defense Minister Andris Sprudzs at a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group held at the Ramstein Air Base.
The drones will be delivered after contracts worth £45 million are signed by the international Drone Capability Coalition. The drone transfer is funded with contributions from the UK, Denmark, the Netherlands, Latvia, and Sweden.
"These state-of-the-art, first-person view drones will help Ukraine fight against Russian aggression, allowing Ukraine’s Armed Forces to manoeuvre past Russian air defences to target enemy positions and armoured vehicles," the statement reads.
In addition, allies and partners have allocated over £190 million in additional funding for the International Fund for Ukraine's support. Portugal and Germany have contributed to this fund for the first time. The new contributions include:
- £67 million from Denmark for equipment, including drones, air defense systems, and training equipment;
- £59 million from Norway for specialized equipment, including drones and maritime training;
- £43 million (52 million euros) from Portugal for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance drones;
- £20 million from Sweden for the repair of Archer self-propelled artillery units and maritime training;
- £4 million from Germany for maritime training;
- £1 million from Iceland to fund coastal radars.
The Drone Coalition was formed in February 2024 at Latvia's initiative to support Ukraine's military success. In July 2024, the Drone Coalition countries created a joint fund led by the UK, allowing them to jointly purchase and quickly deliver reconnaissance drones to Ukraine for strike missions.
