The UK has announced its largest-ever drone support package for Ukraine, committing to deliver at least 120,000 drones this year in a move that also underlines the expanding logistics and industrial importance of UAVs.
The announcement comes as UK Defence Secretary John Healey travels to Berlin to co-chair the 34th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group alongside German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, Ukrainian Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
The new package, described as the biggest of its kind ever supplied by the UK, includes thousands of long-range strike drones, intelligence and reconnaissance drones, logistics drones and maritime capabilities, all of which have already been proven on Ukraine’s front line. Deliveries of the newly announced systems have already begun this month.
The initiative is also expected to support British industry. The majority of the investment will go to UK-based companies, including Tekever, Windracers and Malloy Aeronautics, helping create jobs while supporting Ukraine’s defence and sovereignty. The UK government said the domestic drone sector is advancing rapidly and is contributing not only to national security, but also to wider European deterrence and innovation.
Windracers chief executive Simon Muderack said the company was proud to be part of what he described as a historic announcement. He said Windracers ULTRA offers Ukraine a resilient, dual-use heavy-lift autonomous platform capable of providing long-range operational air support.
Drones have become increasingly central to both Ukrainian counteroffensives and defensive operations. Around 6,500 one-way attack drones were launched by Russia against Ukraine in March 2026 alone, a significant increase compared with February.
Healey said that in the fifth year of Vladimir Putin’s war, the UK is stepping up again with its highest-ever annual drone provision for Ukraine. He said the package would help Ukrainian forces defend their people and respond to Russian aggression. He also stressed that despite recent international attention on the Middle East, the UK would not be distracted from its support for Ukraine.
The package forms part of the UK’s wider £3bn military support commitment for Ukraine in 2026 and is also backed by ERA funding. Healey is also expected to confirm that the UK will provide hundreds of thousands of artillery rounds and thousands of air defence missiles this year.
The announcement follows a new defence partnership agreed last month between the UK and Ukraine to strengthen global defensive capability against the spread of low-cost, high-tech military systems, including drones.
The UK continues to play a leading role in international support efforts, co-chairing the Ukraine Defence Contact Group with Germany and coordinating closely with NATO allies and other partners. Chancellor Rachel Reeves is also expected to announce additional support for Ukraine later today during a meeting of international finance ministers in Washington DC.
Today’s package builds on the UK’s £500m air defence package announced in February at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting in Brussels. That initiative included £150m for NATO’s Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List, allowing rapid delivery of air defence interceptors, alongside more than 1,000 Lightweight Multirole Missiles produced in Belfast. It also supported a £390m agreement to deepen collaboration between UK and Ukrainian industry, including production transfer and air defence support.
