LONDON: An international coalition to procure unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for Ukraine, co-led by the United Kingdom and Latvia, will send 30,000 newly-ordered drones to Kyiv, Britain’s Ministry of Defence said on Thursday (Jan 9).
The “drone capability coalition” – formed in early 2024 to deliver devices to Ukraine – has placed an order worth £45 million (US$55 million) for the UAVs, the ministry noted.
It did not detail when the drones would be dispatched to Kyiv.
Funding for the 30,000 new UAVs via the coalition comes from the UK, Denmark, the Netherlands, Latvia and Sweden.
British Defence Secretary John Healey announced the order as he visited Germany’s Ramstein Air Base for a meeting of Ukraine’s allies, where he also held talks with outgoing United States counterpart Lloyd Austin.
“The fierce courage of the Ukrainian people continues to inspire the world,” Healey said in remarks released by his ministry.
“This meeting of more than 50 nations sends a clear message to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin about the international community’s unwavering support for Ukraine.”
