European countries have significantly increased funding for unmanned systems for Ukrainian forces, allocating approximately EUR 1.6 billion to this area between January and April 2026.
According to Ukrinform, the figures come from the latest research by the Ukraine Support Tracker of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
"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 aid flows to Ukraine, while technological spillovers flow back to Europe," said Christoph Trebesch, head of the Ukraine Support Tracker.
The institute noted that the importance of drones in European military aid has increased substantially within just a few years.
"In real terms, confirmed bilateral military aid allocated to drones grew from EUR 400 million in 2022 to EUR 1 billion in 2024 and EUR 1.2 billion in 2025, before surging to approximately EUR 1.6 billion in the first four months of 2026 alone. These figures include only provisions that can be clearly attributed to European donors. The actual volume is therefore likely even higher," the report said.
