The Latvian Ministry of Defense will deliver over 2,500 military drones to Ukraine this month. Ukraine will receive the first batch of 300 drones in the “next few days,” the ministry stated in a press release. The 4-million-euro ($4.34 million) package includes drones of various types and capabilities, produced by seven Latvian firms. It follows the delivery of 135 drones by Latvia to Ukraine in April and May worth around 1 million euros ($1.08 million).
The deliveries are part of the 14-nation Drone Coalition initiative, launched to bolster Ukraine’s unmanned capabilities in its defense against Russian aggression. Riga has budgeted 20 million euros ($21 million) to invest in the drone coalition initiative this year, of which half of the procurement will be from the domestic producers. The procurement amounts will be divided into several procurements in order to provide an opportunity for companies to gradually increase production volumes, as well as to provide an opportunity to adapt to changing technical specifications, in accordance with Ukraine’s requirements. Meanwhile, the drone coalition has raised 500 million euros ($542 million) for the procurement of drones for Ukraine. The member states are also working on forming a common fund to finance quicker and more efficient drone production within the group.
