Lithuania to send an extra 4,500 drones to Ukraine despite delivery delays
Thousands of UAS have been committed or supplied to Ukrainian forces. (Photo: Kyiv Regional Military Administration)
According to local media sources, thousands of drones destined for Ukraine are currently stuck in warehouses due to bureaucratic 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.
Related Articles
How Russia is ramping up efforts to counter drones in Ukraine
Details revealed on new UAS munition destined for Ukraine
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.
Related Programmes in Defence Insight
More from Air Warfare
-
![Ukraine’s fighter fleet boosted with France’s Mirage 2000s and extra Netherlands’ F-16s]()
Ukraine’s fighter fleet boosted with France’s Mirage 2000s and extra Netherlands’ F-16s
The first Dassault Mirage 2000 aircraft have finally been delivered to Ukraine, as confirmed by France’s defence minister on 6 February. They will join the F-16s already in service to bolster Ukrainian air defence.
-
![Sikorsky advances Black Hawk modernisation with new engine ground tests]()
Sikorsky advances Black Hawk modernisation with new engine ground tests
The UH-60 helicopter ground run test of the T901 engine is the first in a set of tests for boosting the helicopter’s range and lift capacity. The first flight of the improved engine Black Hawk is anticipated for later in 2025.
-
![US Navy’s next-generation sensor for Super Hornets achieves Initial Operating Capability]()
US Navy’s next-generation sensor for Super Hornets achieves Initial Operating Capability
The full rate production decision is scheduled for first-half 2025 and this will authorise the US Navy (USN) to fully outfit its carrier-based F/A-18E/F Super Hornet squadrons with InfraRed Search-and-Track (IRST) Block II.
-
![USAF conducts first F-16 Block 70 flight of L3Harris’ Viper Shield]()
USAF conducts first F-16 Block 70 flight of L3Harris’ Viper Shield
The Viper Shield electronic warfare suite was tested by the US Air Force’s 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, with L3Harris aiming for deliveries of the system to international customers by late 2025.
