Drones for Ukraine to go from 10,000 to 100,000

As part of the UK’s ongoing support for Ukraine, the UK is investing a record £350 million this year to increase the number of drones sent to Ukraine.

The investment will see drones delivered to Ukraine multiplied by ten, going from 10,000 in 2024 to an ambitious 100,000 in 2025. The multi-million investment in drones for Ukraine is part of the UK’s £4.5 billion military support his year.

The drones provided by the UK are a combination of manoeuvrable first-person view (FPV) drones to precise attack Russian targets, interceptor drones to destroy Russian missiles and drones, fibre-optic drones which are tethered by a cable which safeguards against jamming from Russian electronic warfare systems, as well as low-cost drones which can drop explosives on Russian positions. These drones supplied by the UK have been a success, having been reported to be responsible for 60-70 per cent of total damage caused to Russian equipment.

Alongside drones, a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) will see the UK spend a further £247 million on training the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Named Operation Interflex, the scheme has trained more than 55,000 Ukrainian recruits since 2022.

As well as this, the defence secretary is also set to confirm the delivery of 140,000 artillery munitions by the Uk for Ukraine since the start of 2025, which is a vital boost for Ukraine’s troops.

The new Strategic Defence Review, published Monday 2nd June, saw the government announce more than £4 billion for autonomous systems and drones for the UK Armed Forces, to help learn the lessons from Ukraine, alongside the announcement to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent of UK GDP by April 2027.

To provide further training and equipment supplies for Ukraine’s forces, the UK will also invest £40 million in the trust fund for NATO’s NSATU mission for Ukraine.

Defence secretary John Healey MP said: “The UK is stepping up in its support for Ukraine by delivering hundreds of thousands more drones this year and completing a major milestone in the delivery of critical artillery ammunition.

“We are learning lessons every day from the battlefield in Ukraine, which British companies are using to develop advanced new drones to help protect Ukraine’s civilians and also strengthen our own national security.

“Defence is an engine for growth, delivering on this government’s Plan for Change, and this investment will help keep us secure at home and strong abroad, while ensuring the UK is a world leader in rapidly developing drone technology.”