Finland will officially join the international drone coalition for Ukraine by the end of spring 2026, expanding the Latvia- and UK-led group to more than 20 countries, Finnish Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen told Finnish news service Uutissuomalainen on 30 April. The move comes from an existing Finnish government Ukraine aid package and requires no new funding.
Helsinki finalizes a year-long evaluation
Häkkänen said the Finnish government had been weighing the step over the past year, and that the decision was finalized. He said Finland would join the coalition this spring, and that the government had agreed to allocate additional resources for Ukraine in the field of unmanned systems. Thanks to that, Finland will be able to significantly contribute to the EU's support for Ukraine and to operational activity in this area, the minister said.
The drone coalition was established by Latvia in February 2024 to supply unmanned systems to Ukraine's frontline. The group now has more than 20 member countries, with Latvia and the United Kingdom co-leading the initiative.
What Finland gets out of joining
Finland is betting that joining gives Finnish drone-makers something they can't get at home — access to Ukrainian battlefield experience, according to Liga's account of the Häkkänen interview. Häkkänen reportedly said the coalition will help Finland engage Finnish drone developers.
The pattern is already in motion at the industry level. Ukrainian defense firm TAF Industries and Finnish firm Summa Defence signed a memorandum of understanding to expand drone production in Finland, under the Build with Ukraine initiative. The agreement established a joint venture to build industrial-scale manufacturing capacity, leveraging Finnish infrastructure to meet the needs of Ukraine's defense forces.
Finland is also already in other Ukraine-support coalitions, including those for artillery, armored vehicles, mine action, and air defense, according to Liga.
€1.8 bn already pledged before Finland's entry
Coalition partners committed €1.8 bn to the Ukrainian armed forces in November 2024. The UK has announced an additional $9.48 mn for new strike and reconnaissance drones, and Lithuania has agreed to fund the production of Ukrainian long-range drones, per Liga.
