Lithuania to send an extra 4,500 drones to Ukraine despite delivery delays

Lithuania’s Defence Minister, Dovile Sakaliene, has announced that the country will provide Ukraine with an additional 4,500 drones, at an approximate value of €5 million (US$5.1 million).

The delivery of this latest batch of first-person view (FPV) drones, announced in a statement on X, Sakaliene said that Lithuania has also approved a “new faster procedure for transferring state assets”, ensuring that aid – such as drones – reaches Ukraine faster.

The Lithuanian government previously announced its intent to purchase 3,000 additional Lithuanian-made UAS for Ukraine in 2024. In August 2024, it was announced that €5 million ($5.1 million) had already been earmarked for FPV procurement, with five drone manufacturers reportedly conducting tests in Ukraine.

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However, the Defence Minister’s statement on this additional drone delivery and faster bureaucratic procedures came as local Lithuanian press LRT reported that some thousands of drones are still currently stuck in warehouses due to delays. Anticipated delivery of these drones has now been pushed back from 2024 to 2025.

According to Shephard Defence Insight Lithuania will spend around €8 million ($8.86 million) on acquiring 7,300 Lithuanian-made FPV drones. 5,000 of this number are destined for Ukraine as military aid, while the remaining 2,300 have been procured for the Lithuanian army.

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FPV Drones (Ukraine Aid) [Lithuania]