Latvia Sends 1,500 Drones to Ukrainian Defense Forces

Latvia has delivered a new strike drone shipment to Ukraine as part of the International Drone Coalition.

Andris Sprūds, the Latvian Minister of Defense, announced this.

On his X (formerly Twitter) account, he shared photos showing a truck loaded with drones ready for deployment.

The Minister stated that this shipment includes 1,500 drones, which are part of the 12,000 UAVs to be produced by two Latvian companies in the first half of 2025, valued at €17 million, for the needs of the Ukrainian Defense Forces.

“Another 1,500 combat drones are being delivered to Ukraine from Latvia. Two Latvian companies will supply 12,000 drones in the first half of the year as part of the international drone coalition,” Sprūds wrote on X.

In a comment, the Minister added that the funding for purchasing and delivering these drones comes from the international drone coalition fund, to which Latvia contributed €5 million.

The previous batch of UAVs, which the Latvian Minister of Defense also announced, was shipped to Ukraine at the end of April. It also consisted of 1,500 units.

The international Drone Coalition is led by Latvia and the United Kingdom and was established in February 2024.

The coalition currently includes 18 countries committed to supplying Ukraine’s Defense Forces with reconnaissance, FPV, and multirotor bomber drones.

In the coalition’s first announced international tender, five companies were selected out of more than 260 European manufacturers to supply 30,000 drones valued at €45 million. Two Latvian manufacturers were among the selected suppliers.

Last year, according to Minister Sprūds, approximately 5,000 various drones of Latvian manufacture, worth €15 million, were delivered to Ukraine.

In May, Latvia announced the creation of a testing range for maritime drones, which will allow the national armed forces and allies to conduct trials in real conditions.