Ukraine is set to receive €6 billion from the EU for drones in the second quarter of 2026
Speaking at a plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 29 April, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that Ukraine will receive its first defence funding package in the second quarter of 2026.
This amounts to around €6 billion, which will be allocated to the purchase of Ukrainian-made drones.
According to Ursula von der Leyen, the European Union has fulfilled its promise to provide Ukraine with a €90 billion loan. Under this programme, the first tranche of €45 billion is scheduled to be disbursed by the end of the current quarter in 2026.
She noted that one-third of the total loan amount is earmarked for Ukraine’s budgetary needs, whilst two-thirds are allocated to defence requirements.
“The first defence package will be directed towards drones from Ukraine for Ukraine – worth around €6 billion,” said Ursula von der Leyen.
She also emphasised that the European Union would continue to support Ukraine.
“As Russia steps up its aggression, Europe is stepping up our support for Ukraine,” said the President of the European Commission.
It was previously reported that the first defence tranche under this loan programme is to be disbursed by the end of the second quarter of 2026 and will be directed towards the production of Ukrainian drones.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that this tranche is planned to be used for the development of domestic production of defence equipment.
