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Drone coalition to gather $1.8 billion by end of 2024, defense minister says

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Drone coalition to gather $1.8 billion by end of 2024, defense minister says
A Ukrainian drone operator pilots an attack drone in Zaporizhzhia Oblast, Ukraine, on Feb. 21, 2024 (Scott Peterson/Getty Images)

The international drone coalition is planning to gather 1.8 billion euros ($1.8 billion) by the end of 2024 to support Ukraine, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov announced on Nov. 25.

"This decision will allow Ukraine to strengthen its technological advantage on the battlefield and destroy the enemy more effectively," Umerov said.

An allied initiative, co-headed by the U.K. and Latvia, was launched in January to bolster Ukraine's arsenal of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which became a crucial capability on the battlefield. Nearly 20 countries joined the coalition as of late November.

Riga will allocate 20 million euros ($21 million) this year for the effort. Umerov did not specify how much money other countries will allocate to the drone coalition.

Ukraine is also working to scale up domestic production, aiming to produce at least 1 million drones in 2024. Kyiv employs long-range drones to strike deep into Russian territory, targeting military infrastructure such as airfields and logistics, as well as oil refineries and depots.

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In a Russian attack on the city of Zaporizhzhia on the morning of March 21, a father and mother of two girls were killed, and 6 people injured, including two girls aged 11 and 15, Fedorov said. The girls are daughters of the parents killed in the strike, Ukraine's State Emergency Service later said.

Russian citizens Yurii Korzhavin and Lidiya Korzhavina were removed from the U.S. sanctions list on March 20, along with other individuals and entities linked to Russia. The Korzhavins were sanctioned in 2024 for their ties to the Russian transport and logistics company Elfor TL.

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