Germany will finance the purchase of 50,000 strike drones for Ukraine, which will become the largest supply of this kind from Western countries to Kyiv, reports Reuters, citing an informed source.
The drones in question are the Shrike FPV drones produced by the Ukrainian company SkyFall. The drones are equipped with software from the American defense technology company Auterion, which allows them to autonomously track and strike moving targets in the final phase of flight.
Auterion's CEO, Lorenz Meyer, confirmed the contract's volume, estimating its value at around 90 million euros (approximately 103 million dollars). According to him, the funding has been provided by one of the European countries. Part of the drones has already been delivered to Ukraine, with the remainder expected to be supplied by the end of the year.
SkyFall has confirmed Germany's participation in the deal but declined to disclose details. The defense ministries of Germany and Ukraine have not commented on the information, citing operational security concerns.
The Shrike drones have been used by Ukrainian forces since 2023. Recently, one of their modifications, the Shrike 10-F, developed in collaboration with SkyFall and the British company Skycutter, secured first place in the Pentagon's American competition for selecting low-cost strike drones.
Auterion's CEO stated that his company is participating in the supply of around 100,000 drones for Ukraine this year in collaboration with several manufacturers. This includes a Pentagon contract worth 50 million dollars, which involves the supply of 33,000 drones that are reportedly already delivered to Kyiv.
Earlier, the UK announced plans to provide Ukraine with 150,000 drones in 2026 as part of a larger military aid package worth 752 million pounds sterling.
