According to the latest data update from the Kiel Institute published on Thursday June 4, European military assistance to Ukraine linked to the supply of drones, whether through donations or joint production, jumped in the first four months of the year, reaching €1.6 billion..
- This amount is four times higher than the sums granted by European countries for drones in 2022 (400 million euros over the year). It is also higher than the total amount for the year 2025 (1.2 billion).
- Over the first four months of the year, 13% of total European military aid to Ukraine (12.33 billion euros) was devoted to drones.
- However, due to the methodology used by the Kiel Institute, which consists of only taking into account amounts that can be clearly attributed to European donors, this volume could be underestimated.
Ukrainian drone production is expected to more than double this year to 7 million units, up from 3 million last year and just a few thousand in 2022, the first year of the full-scale invasion.
- If this figure is lower than the Russian production estimated by kyiv for this year (7.3 million FPV drones and 7.8 million combat drones), Ukraine now produces 6 to 9 times more drones per person of working age than Russia..
- Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Mstyslav Banik said on Tuesday (June 2) that production could reach 20 million units per year if European countries devoted more resources to production in Ukraine..
In exchange for relatively low investments compared to other weapons systems, such as armored vehicles or anti-aircraft defense, kyiv undertakes to test new drones on the front, and to share its technologies as well as the data collected with partner countries.
- For several months, drones have been produced by the Ukrainian company Ukrspecsystems in the United Kingdom.
- The German-Ukrainian joint venture between Quantum Systems and Frontline Robotics began production in Germany in February, and aims to produce 10,000 units within a year.Â
- kyiv also plans to open 10 arms export centers in Europe this year which will allow surplus Ukrainian production to be sold.
- The profits will be used to purchase other systems that the country’s industry is not able to produce in sufficient numbers.
The country’s European supporters benefit from the fallout from the progress made by Ukrainian companies. The development of technology sharing systems could also allow European countries to maintain an advantage over other countries which have not yet experienced the deployment of drones on a scale as large as Ukraine.
- Although they are developed, tested and used domestically, 9 out of 10 Ukrainian drone producers identify China as their main supplier of parts (including motors, batteries and chips).
- Russian manufacturers rely on China for 80% of the critical components used in their drones, according to Ukrainian intelligence..
