The UK, Germany and Norway will provide funding for hundreds of thousands of drones for Ukraine, while Germany announced its additional aid package, Bloomberg reports.
Britain and Norway announced a joint $580 million package from existing funding sources, according to Bloomberg citing the UK Ministry of Defense (MoD). The package will fund the “rapid” delivery of first-person view (FPV) drones, as well as radar systems and anti-tank mines, the MoD stated.
In a separate announcement, Acting German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius revealed plans to supply Ukraine with 300 additional surveillance drones, four IRIS-T air defense systems including 300 missiles, 30 Patriot missiles, tanks, and ammunition. This military aid will be funded from an additional €11 billion ($12.4 billion) budget, available until 2029, as reported by Bloomberg
According to the British MoD, the drones being delivered to Ukraine’s front line will be procured from both UK and Ukrainian suppliers. Such drones are reportedly responsible for 60-70% of the damage currently inflicted on Russian equipment. The British-Norwegian package will also help fund repairs and maintenance for vehicles and equipment.
On 11 April, Healey convened the latest meeting of the “coalition of the willing,” a European-led group of NATO and non-NATO countries prepared to contribute forces to Ukraine following any peace deal to protect against further Russian aggression. Despite Healey describing the plan as “well developed,” Bloomberg reported on 11 April 2024 that the initiative risks stalling because the US has so far refused to provide firm commitments on security guarantees for the force.
