On Sunday, July 12th, informed sources revealed that Germany is funding the purchase of 50,000 attack drones to assist Ukraine. This order marks one of the largest-scale drone military aid operations from Western governments to Kyiv to date.
The Russia-Ukraine war has entered its fifth year, with the Ukrainian military heavily relying on various unmanned vehicles on the battlefield. Currently, Ukraine produces millions of drones annually, with frontline units launching thousands of drone attacks daily, accumulating significant experience in the process.
According to sources speaking to Reuters, the order is for the first-person view (FPV) drones named “Shrike” produced by the Ukrainian drone manufacturer SkyFall. These drones are equipped with software developed by the US defense technology company Auterion, which can automatically lock onto and precisely strike moving targets in the final stages of flight.
Auterion CEO Lorenz Meier confirmed the order, stating that the total contract value of about 90 million euros (approximately 103 million US dollars) was fully covered by a European country. He revealed to Reuters that some drones have already been delivered to the Ukrainian government, with the rest expected to be shipped within this year.
SkyFall, the manufacturer, later confirmed Germany’s involvement in the deal but cited commercial confidentiality as a reason for not disclosing further procurement details. Both the German and Ukrainian defense ministries declined to comment, citing military operational security concerns.
On July 8th, Ukraine and Germany signed an agreement for joint production of the “BARS UAV missile system.” The agreement outlines that in the initial phase, Germany will provide funding for the production of drones, which will be directly sent to the Russia-Ukraine frontlines.
The BARS UAV is a jet-powered long-range attack drone developed by Ukraine, essentially serving as a low-cost cruise missile with a speed of approximately 620 kilometers per hour and a maximum range of 1000 kilometers. It is primarily used to target strategic sites deep within Russian territory.
Furthermore, Kyiv and Berlin also reached a defense cooperation agreement in April worth 4 billion euros (about 3.5 billion US dollars), including the delivery of several “Patriot” missile defense systems and drones.
The “Shrike” drone, as a low-cost option, has garnered international attention in the military industry since its deployment on the Ukrainian battlefield in 2023, especially with the improved “Shrike 10-F” model developed in collaboration with the British company Skycutter by SkyFall.
This model excelled in the first round of drone competitions held at the Pentagon, accounting for a part of the US military’s billion-dollar plan to procure hundreds of thousands of “suicidal” drones. Auterion mentioned that their software has been applied to various drones participating in the competition.
Meier highlighted that with the support of several Western governments, Auterion plans to collaborate with different hardware manufacturers this year to provide Ukraine with 100,000 drones. Out of these drones, 33,000 are part of a $50 million contract signed with the Pentagon, with this batch of equipment already successfully delivered to Ukraine.
In addition to the US and Germany, the UK government announced in June a military aid program worth 7.52 billion pounds (approximately 10.1 billion US dollars) for Ukraine, aiming to provide 150,000 drones to Ukraine this year.