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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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The Kyiv Independent staff documented what it feels like to live and sleep in Kyiv, Ukraine, as Russia intensifies its drone and missile attacks on the city. Filmed over several weeks in June and July, our journalists take shelter in bathrooms, basements, and parking garages as explosions ring out overhead.

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