EU provides €3.47bn to Ukraine for drones, missiles, air defence and Gripen jets.

The European Commission on Thursday disbursed another €3.47 billion to Ukraine under the defence component of its €90 billion Support Loan.

The newly released funds are earmarked for urgent military requirements, including additional reconnaissance and combat drones, long-range jet drones, missiles, air defence systems, and Swedish-made JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets.

Focus on Protecting Ukrainian Skies

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen highlighted that the latest tranche would directly assist Ukraine in defending its population and critical infrastructure against ongoing Russian missile and drone strikes.

“Today we are investing a further €3.47 billion to help protect Ukraine’s skies,” von der Leyen stated.

The payment forms part of a broader strategic framework designed to combine European industrial manufacturing capacity with Ukrainian battlefield innovation in defence production.

Part of Larger €90 Billion Support Package

This latest disbursement follows several major allocations made earlier this summer:

• June 25: €3.2 billion allocated for direct budget support.
• June 30: €3.9 billion disbursed for drone procurement.
• Recent Outflows: €1.1 billion transferred for other specialized defence procurement.

Total defence-related outflows under the loan structure have now reached approximately €8.5 billion. The European Commission aims to transfer around €28 billion in total for defence purposes by the end of 2026.

Strengthening Defence Industry Cooperation

EU officials emphasized that the funding mechanism serves a dual purpose by deepening industrial ties between the EU and Ukrainian defence sectors.

A new drone agreement is taking shape, allowing Ukraine to rapidly acquire battlefield-essential unmanned systems while simultaneously filling order books across European production lines.

Reaffirming the bloc’s political stance, von der Leyen stressed that every attack strengthens both Ukraine’s determination to remain free and the EU’s resolve to stand by Kyiv “for as long as it takes.”

Ukrainian Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi confirmed receipt of the funds, noting they would immediately reinforce frontline defence capability and priority security needs. In total, €45 billion is planned for release to Ukraine under the support mechanism in 2026 alone.