Drone Coalition allocates almost $22 million for Ukraine's reconnaissance drones
The partner countries of the Drone Coalition have allocated 20 million euros ($21.6 million) from a common fund to procure tactical-level reconnaissance drones for Ukraine, the Defense Ministry announced on March 24.
"We are grateful to our partners for responding to this critical need. Prompt response and flexibility in making this decision are important, especially now when the Defense Forces need them most," said Deputy Defense Minister for Digitalization Kateryna Chernohorenko.
The drones are expected to be delivered within three months.
The allied initiative, co-led by the U.K. and Latvia, was launched in January 2024 to strengthen Ukraine's unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capabilities, a key factor in modern warfare. By late 2024, nearly 20 countries had joined the coalition.
Kyiv has increasingly relied on long-range drones to strike deep into Russian territory, targeting military infrastructure, airfields, oil refineries, and logistical hubs.
On March 11, Russia's Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses intercepted 337 drones across multiple regions, including 74 shot down near Moscow, marking what seems to be Ukraine's largest drone attack during the full-scale war.
Kyiv has developed missile-drone hybrids, such as the Palianytsia and Peklo models, which feature turbojet engines as cost-effective alternatives to cruise missiles. President Volodymyr Zelensky has ordered the production of at least 30,000 long-range drones in 2025.
Tim Zadorozhnyy
