The European Commission has started disbursing €3.9 billion in the first tranche earmarked specifically for the purchase of drones for the Ukrainian Defence Forces. The funds are part of a large-scale €90 billion loan to support Ukraine.
The European Commission has started disbursing €3.9 billion in the first tranche earmarked specifically for the purchase of drones for the Ukrainian Defence Forces. The funds are part of a large-scale €90 billion loan to support Ukraine.
The money comes from a package of almost €6 billion, which is entirely focused on the purchase of drones. As European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen noted , these investments will help protect Ukrainian citizens and strengthen European security.
“Ukraine’s ingenuity is at the heart of its success in resisting a full-scale Russian invasion. And we want to support that ingenuity,” she stressed. The next payments are expected in the coming days after receiving and verifying the relevant requests and contracts from Ukraine.
Ukraine's ingenuity lies at the heart of its success in resisting Russia's full-scale invasion.
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) June 30, 2026
It is this ingenuity that we want to support.
Today, we are providing a first €3.9 billion for advanced drone technology to strengthen Ukraine's defense.
More will follow.… pic.twitter.com/9ZOqHEuySj
The allocation of funds was somewhat delayed due to technical nuances: the EU had to develop and set up a reliable mechanism for monitoring expenditures. Particular attention was paid to controlling the procurement of those devices that contain components manufactured outside the EU or Ukraine.
In general, the structure of the European loan of 90 billion euros is divided into two large parts. 30 billion euros will go to macro-financial support for the budget in 2026-2027, and the lion's share - 60 billion euros - is reserved exclusively for defense needs. Of these, 28.3 billion euros will be paid out in 2026 to support the defense-industrial complex.
To benefit from this funding, Ukraine must provide the European Commission with an assessment of its military needs. Priority in procurement is given to European-made weapons, but thanks to a number of special exceptions, Ukraine will also be able to use the funds to purchase weapons from other countries. In the future, EU tranches will cover not only drones, but also ammunition, missiles and air defense systems.
