UK announces biggest ever drone package for Ukraine to push back Putin - GOV.UK
AI Analysis
The UK has announced its largest ever drone package for Ukraine, supplying over 120,000 drones including long-range strike, reconnaissance, and logistics drones. This initiative is part of the UK's £3 billion military support for Ukraine in 2026.
Key Takeaways
- UK to deliver over 120,000 drones to Ukraine in 2026.
- Package includes long-range strike, intelligence, reconnaissance, and logistics drones.
- Drones are critical for Ukrainian counterattacks and defense against Russian aggression.
- UK investment benefits domestic companies like Tekever, Windracers, and Malloy Aeronautics.
- Part of a broader £3 billion UK military support package for Ukraine.
Why It Matters
This significant drone package enhances Ukraine's military capabilities, particularly in countering Russian attacks and conducting strategic operations. It also strengthens UK defense industry ties and supports European security efforts, demonstrating a commitment to countering Russian aggression and supporting Ukrainian sovereignty.
UK announces biggest ever drone package for Ukraine to push back Putin - GOV.UK
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Press release
UK announces biggest ever drone package for Ukraine to push back Putin
Biggest ever UK drone package for Ukraine announced, including more than 120,000 drones, supplying cutting-edge battlefield technology.
From: Ministry of Defence Published 15 April 2026
The UK has announced the biggest ever drone package for Ukraine, delivering at least 120,000 drones for Ukraine this year and driving growth and jobs across the UK.
It comes as the Defence Secretary travels to Berlin today to co-chair the 34th meeting of the 50-nation strong Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Berlin, alongside German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, Ukrainian Minister of Defence Mykhailo Fedorov, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The new package, the largest of its kind ever supplied by the UK, will include thousands of long-range strike drones, intelligence and reconnaissance drones, logistics drones and maritime capabilities, which are all battle-proven on Ukraine’s frontline. Deliveries of these new drones to Ukraine have already started this month.
Drones are proving critical to both Ukrainian counterattacks across the frontline over the past months, as well as their defence against continued Russian attacks. Approximately 6,500 one-way attack drones were launched by Russia against Ukraine in March 2026, a significant increase on February’s total.
In a boost to British business, the majority of this investment will be spent with UK-based companies, including Tekever, Windracers and Malloy Aeronautics - creating new UK jobs whilst defending Ukraine’s security and sovereignty. The British drone sector is rapidly advancing, and supports both UK security and wider European deterrence, while driving skills and innovation in every region of the UK.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said:
In the fifth year of Putin’s brutal war, the UK is stepping up further and providing the highest ever number of drones for Ukraine this year.
This big boost of battle-proven drones will give Ukrainian forces the capability they need to defend their people and fight back against Russian aggression.
With eyes on the Middle East in recent weeks, Putin wants us to be distracted, but Ukrainians continue to fight with huge courage and nothing will distract us from continuing to stand with them for as long as it takes to secure peace.
The new drone package is backed by the UK’s wider £3 billion military support for Ukraine this year, as well as ERA funding. The Defence Secretary will also confirm that the UK will be providing hundreds of thousands of artillery rounds and thousands of air defence missiles for Ukraine this year.
This follows the new world-leading defence partnership, agreed last month, that will see the UK and Ukraine work together to boost global defensive capability against the proli