Latvia transfers another 500 drones to Ukraine, defense minister says.
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Become a member Support us just onceLatvia is transferring another 500 Latvian-made combat drones to Ukraine, the country's defense minister Andris Spruds on Aug.
13. The drones, provided in the framework of the international drone coalition, will "provide support for Ukrainians in various combat missions," the Minister said in his post on X. In early July, the defense ministry announced that Riga will send more than 2,500 combat drones of different types, worth 4 million euros (£4.3 million), to Ukraine over the month.
Spruds announced back in May that the Latvian government would invest around 20 million euros (£22 million) in the drone coalition this year, and a similar sum to the development of Latvia's own drone capabilities. Along with the U.K., Latvia is the leader of the drone coalition, an allied initiative established to supply Ukrainian forces with this crucial capability. The coalition was established in January to bolster Ukraine's arsenal of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Seven countries, apart from the founding states, have joined the alliance, including Germany, Canada, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Sweden, Estonia, and Denmark.
Ukraine is also working to scale up domestic production, aiming to produce at least 1 million drones in 2024.
Ukraine able to produce over 3 million drones a year, ministry says
Ukraine has the production capacity to produce more than 3 million drones a year, but requires financing from foreign partners, Deputy Strategic Industries Minister Hanna Hvozdiar said on July 30.
