Europe bets on drones: €1.6 billion in aid to Ukraine over 4 months

A focus on UAVs turns support into a mutual exchange: funds go to Ukraine, and technological know-how flows back to European manufacturers

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08 Jun 2026

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European partners in 2026 are maintaining high levels of military support for Ukraine with a noticeable shift in priority toward drones, while financial and humanitarian assistance declined in the first months of the year, according to a new report from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.

According to analysts at the Ukraine Support Tracker, from January to April there has been a steady flow of defense assistance against a decline in non-frontline support programs; details were released on the institute’s website at the link here.

Among the largest decisions in recent months: Germany announced the allocation of 4.2 billion euros to strengthen air defense and purchase drones, the United Kingdom added another 1.3 billion euros, and Norway — 600 million euros. The largest financial package came from Japan — 1.1 billion euros under the ERA loan mechanism.

“Europe has maintained the momentum of increased military support for Ukraine in 2026. At the same time, the volumes of financial and humanitarian aid have fallen sharply,” said Ukraine Support Tracker head Christoph Trebesch.

On average over the four months, European military allocations amounted to about 2 billion euros per month, which is below the 2025 figure of 2.4 billion euros, but noticeably higher than levels in 2022–2024. At the same time, financial and humanitarian support fell to roughly 500 million euros monthly — less than one-fifth of last year’s average level.

Particular attention is paid to drones: the United Kingdom has already delivered about 120 thousand drones to Ukraine, Germany and Norway each directed 500 million euros to their procurement, and the Netherlands added roughly 250 million euros. Overall spending on unmanned systems rose from about 400 million euros in 2022 to approximately 1.6 billion euros in just the first four months of 2026.

“European donors are actively involved in funding and producing drones. Support for Ukraine is turning into a two-way exchange: financial aid flows to Ukraine, while technological advances return to Europe,” added Christoph Trebesch.