The European Commission announced on Wednesday that €1.24 billion had been released for Ukraine to purchase domestically manufactured drones, drone interceptors, drone ammunition and munitions.
The president of the EU executive, Ursula von der Leyen, said the funding allocation would help protect "people and infrastructure" in Ukraine against Russia's "deliberate strategy of terror".
"Today’s disbursement will help strengthen Ukraine’s defence industry. And Ukraine’s ability to defend itself," she said.
The funding announcement comes as Russia continues its full-scale invasion against Ukraine. In recent weeks, this has resembled an increasingly aggressive aerial campaign, putting its capital Kyiv on near-constant alert and disrupting daily life.
Ukrainian Prime Minister Sergii Koretskyi welcomed the funding pledge, stating that the EU's allocation will go towards "our most urgent defence needs".
Following deadly attacks in Ukraine's Chernihiv region on Wednesday, as well as the cities of Dnipro and Kremenchuk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated "air defence packages for us right now are a vital necessity".
The envelope is part of the bloc's Ukraine Support Loan, comprising a total of €90 billion funding from 2026-2027.
Two thirds have been earmarked for the country's military and defence needs, with Brussels planning to disperse a total of €28.3 billion in 2026 to support the country's security. Future defence funding releases are planned in the coming weeks.
