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TL;DR: Latvia is enhancing Ukraine's drone capabilities by pledging over 1,000 combat drones through a U.K. and Latvian-led international coalition, along with an additional funding of 20 million euros slated for 2025. This drone coalition, joined by seven other nations, aims to strengthen Ukraine's UAV arsenal. Concurrently, Ukraine is ramping up domestic drone production, aiming for at least 1 million units in 2024, with most UAVs already being of local origin. The drones are crucial in Ukraine's strategy to target Russian military infrastructure, showcasing the ongoing international and domestic efforts to support Ukraine's defense capabilities.
Latvia Announces Support for Ukraine with Over 1,000 Drones
Latvian Defense Minister, Andris Spruds, disclosed via social media on Dec. 28 that the country is committed to transferring more than a thousand varied types of combat drones to Ukraine. The operation will be facilitated via the international drone coalition.
Enhancing Ukraine's Aerial Arsenal through the Drone Coalition
The supplied drones, produced in Latvia, will be coordinated and dispersed through the U.K. and Latvian-led drone coalition. This organization's primary objective is to bolster Ukraine's collection of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). In additional support, Latvia declared its intent to contribute a further 20 million euros ($20.8 million) to the coalition in 2025.
Latvia, a notable supporter of Ukraine, has committed to providing military aid at a rate of 0.25% of its GDP annually, including the promise of thousands of drones. In August, Latvia declared its intention to grant 112 million euros ($126 million) in military aid to Ukraine within 2025 alone, while also playing a significant role in expanding the drone coalition initiative.
Seven other nations have joined the drone coalition, alongside the founding states. These include Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Sweden, Estonia, and Denmark. Previously, the coalition had set a goal to raise 1.8 billion euros ($1.8 billion) by the end of 2024 to extend support to Ukraine.
In November, additional funding of $30 million for the drone coalition was announced by the U.K., Germany, Canada, and Luxembourg.
Ukraine's Focus on Domestic Drone Production and Usage
Ukraine is also aspiring to increase domestic drone production, with a target of manufacturing at least 1 million drones in 2024. On Dec. 29, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov stated that over 96% of all UAVs employed by the military in 2024 were of Ukrainian origin.
Kyiv uses long-range drones to make deep strikes into Russian territory, mainly targeting military infrastructure such as airfields, logistics hubs, oil refineries, and depots.
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