Today at 20:01
European countries significantly increased funding for drone capabilities for Ukraine’s Defense Forces, allocating approximately €1.6 billion between January and April 2026.
According to research by the Ukraine Support Tracker of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel), drones have become one of the fastest-growing areas of European military assistance to Ukraine, UATV English reports.
“European donors are now entering drone financing and production on a large scale. As a result, support for Ukraine is increasingly becoming a two-way exchange: financial assistance flows to Ukraine, while technological dividends flow back to Europe,” said Christoph Trebesch, head of the Ukraine Support Tracker.
The institute noted that the role of drones in European military aid has expanded dramatically over the course of the war.
“In real terms, confirmed bilateral military assistance in the form of drones increased from €400 million in 2022 to €1 billion in 2024 and €1.2 billion in 2025. In the first four months of 2026 alone, it already reached approximately €1.6 billion. These figures include only assistance that can be clearly attributed to European donors. The actual amount is likely even higher,” the report states.
The sharpest increase was recorded in March and April. The United Kingdom announced the delivery of at least 120,000 drones, marking the largest single drone package provided since the start of the war. Germany and Norway each committed roughly €500 million for drone procurement, while the Netherlands allocated around €250 million for the same purpose.
Researchers noted that major donors such as Germany and the Netherlands are increasingly channeling funding through partnerships with Ukrainian defense companies, helping expand domestic production capacities.
Overall, European countries have maintained military assistance to Ukraine at a high level. However, financial and humanitarian aid slowed during the first four months of 2026, largely due to delays in EU funding mechanisms.
During March and April alone, Germany committed €4.2 billion in military assistance, primarily focused on air defense systems and drones. The United Kingdom allocated €1.3 billion, while Norway provided an additional €600 million.
The largest financial support package during that period came from Japan rather than Europe. Tokyo allocated €1.1 billion through the second tranche of the ERA loan mechanism backed by revenues generated from frozen Russian assets.
The Ukraine Support Tracker, maintained by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, has monitored military, financial, and humanitarian assistance to Ukraine since January 2022. The project tracks support from 41 countries, including all EU member states, G7 nations, Australia, South Korea, Turkey, Norway, New Zealand, Switzerland, China, Taiwan, India, and Iceland.
