Latvia to provide over 1,000 drones to Ukraine

Latvia will transfer over 1,000 "combat drones of various types" to Ukraine through the international drone coalition, the country's Defense Minister Andris Spruds announced on social media on Dec. 28.

The drones, which are produced in Latvia, will be administered through the U.K. and Latvian-led drone coalition, which aims to bolster Ukraine's arsenal of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Latvia previously announced it will also provide an additional 20 million euros ($20.8 million) to the coalition in 2025.

Latvia, one of Ukraine’s biggest supporters, has committed to providing military support at the level of 0.25% of its GDP every year and will provide thousands of drones. In August, the country pledged to provide 112 million euros ($126 million) in military support to Ukraine this year, in addition to helping expand the drone coalition initiative.

Apart from the founding states, seven countries have joined the drone coalition, including Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Sweden, Estonia, and Denmark. The alliance previously planned to gather 1.8 billion euros ($1.8 billion) by the end of 2024 to support Ukraine.

In November, the U.K., Germany, Canada, Luxembourg announced an additional $30 million for drone coalition funding.

Ukraine is also working to scale up domestic production, aiming to produce at least 1 million drones in 2024. On Dec. 29, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said that Ukrainian drones accounted for over 96% of all UAVs used by the military 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.

Ukrainian drones made up over 96% of UAVs military used in 2024, defense minister says

The domestic drone industry “reached unprecedented production volumes” in 2024, Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said on Dec. 28.

The Kyiv IndependentAbbey Fenbert