Germany funds 50,000 attack drones in $103 million boost for Ukraine against Russia

Germany is funding the purchase of 50,000 attack drones for Ukraine under a contract worth around $103 million, marking one of the biggest known drone orders placed for Kyiv by a Western government as the war with Russia continues.

The drones are expected to strengthen Ukraine's ability to carry out precision strikes against Russian military targets.

Ukraine has increasingly relied on unmanned aerial vehicles throughout the ongoing conflict with Russia, producing millions of drones every year and launching thousands of drone attacks daily along the front line and deep inside Russian territory.

According to a Reuters report, the order involves Shrike first-person-view (FPV) drones built by Ukrainian manufacturer SkyFall. The drones are equipped with software from US defence technology company Auterion that enables them to autonomously track and strike moving targets during the final stage of flight.

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Germany confirms support, deliveries already underway

According to the report, Auterion Chief Executive Officer Lorenz Meier confirmed the size of the contract, saying it is worth about €90 million ($103 million) and funded by a European country.

SkyFall later confirmed that Germany is the country financing the purchase, although it declined to provide further details, the report said.

According to Meier, some of the drones have already been delivered to the Ukrainian government, while the remaining units are scheduled to be sent later this year. Germany's Defence Ministry declined to comment, citing operational security, while Ukraine's Defence Ministry also did not comment.

Meier also said Auterion is helping deliver a total of 100,000 drones to Ukraine this year in partnership with several drone manufacturers under contracts funded by multiple Western governments. That includes a $50 million Pentagon contract to supply 33,000 drones, which he said have already been delivered.

Drones become key weapon in Ukraine's war strategy

Drones have become one of Ukraine's most important weapons against Russia, allowing Kyiv to strike military positions, logistics hubs and infrastructure far from the battlefield at relatively low cost.

The Shrike drone has also attracted international attention. According to the report, a version known as the Shrike 10-F, developed by SkyFall together with British company Skycutter, recently topped the first round of a Pentagon competition under a $1.1 billion programme to procure hundreds of thousands of one-way attack drones.

Britain has also expanded its drone support for Kyiv. Last month, London announced it would provide 150,000 drones to Ukraine this year as part of a broader £752 million ($1.01 billion) military assistance package, the report said.

Ukraine intensifies strikes deep inside Russia

Ukraine has steadily expanded its long-range drone campaign against Russia. According to The Guardian, Russia was forced to suspend shipping in the Sea of Azov after around 90 vessels were targeted by Ukrainian drones in less than a week.

Kyiv has also increased attacks on strategic Russian facilities. On June 30, Ukraine launched a major drone strike on Moscow, targeting a satellite communications centre.

Ukrainian officials later said they had struck the Dubna Satellite Communications Centre, located about 500 kilometres north of Moscow, for the second time in just over a week.

Ukraine says the facility is used for intelligence gathering and coordinating Russian military operations, highlighting Kyiv's growing ability to hit strategic targets deep inside Russian territory as Western military assistance continues to expand.