The European Union has provided Ukraine with an additional €3.3 billion in financial assistance for the purchase of missiles and drones, the European Commission announced following a phone call between Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
The allocation forms part of a €90 billion loan package for Ukraine. The announcement did not break down the new €3.3 billion tranche by capability, leaving unspecified how much will be directed to drone procurement.
Defence funding within wider loan package
Under the wider package, €28.3 billion has been earmarked for Ukraine’s security and defence sector in 2026. The EU has already approved funding through its Ukraine Support Loan mechanism for the purchase of Patriot air-defence systems.
Earlier this year, the EU allocated €3.9 billion and €1 billion for drones; €3.4 billion for drones, missiles, air-defence systems and fighter aircraft; and €6.1 billion for air- and missile-defence systems, missiles, ammunition and radars. The source did not provide a consolidated figure for drone funding across those allocations.
Planned joint industrial projects
The European Commission is also preparing a new programme for joint defence-industrial projects that is expected to draw on remaining funds from the SAFE facility. Von der Leyen did not specify the amount that would remain available under the programme or the level of funding expected for joint projects involving Ukraine.
