Germany is funding the purchase of 50,000 attack drones for Ukraine in one of the largest known drone procurement programmes by a Western government since the start of the war with Russia, according to a source familiar with the deal.
The order covers Shrike first-person-view (FPV) drones manufactured by Ukrainian defence company SkyFall. The drones are equipped with software from US defence technology firm Auterion, enabling them to autonomously track and strike moving targets during the final stage of flight.
Auterion CEO Lorenz Meier confirmed the contract, saying it is worth around €90 million ($103 million) and is being financed by a European country. He added that some of the drones have already been delivered to Ukraine, with the remaining units scheduled for shipment later this year.
SkyFall also confirmed Germany’s involvement in the purchase but declined to comment on further details of the agreement.
Ukraine has relied heavily on drones throughout the more than four-year war, producing millions of unmanned aircraft each year as its forces carry out thousands of drone strikes across the battlefield.