Tallinn Summit: Ukraine, Latvia sign drone deal

Tallinn Summit: Ukraine, Latvia sign drone deal
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy attends a press conference during the Nordic-Baltic cooperation (NB8) Prime Ministers' meeting in Tallinn, Estonia, 9 June, 2026. Reuters
Reuters

Ukraine has signed a drone cooperation agreement with Latvia, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced on Tuesday during a meeting with Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs on the sidelines of a summit involving Ukraine and Nordic-Baltic leaders in Tallinn, Estonia.

The Ukrainian president said the deal would strengthen joint defence capabilities and expand opportunities for joint production between the two countries.

"These are concrete things to strengthen our joint defence and co-production, and, importantly, this also means Ukraine's expertise and experience helping to strengthen our partners," Zelenskyy wrote on X.

He did not provide further details about the agreement.

Latvia seeks access to Ukrainian drone expertise

Kulbergs said the partnership would provide Latvia with valuable technological knowledge and opportunities for joint manufacturing projects.

"We need to protect our skies, and nobody knows how to do that better than Ukraine," he told reporters during a joint press conference attended by regional leaders.

The Latvian prime minister added that drones have become a decisive factor on the battlefield, claiming they account for the vast majority of Russian military casualties in the war.

Kyiv expands international drone partnerships

Since the outbreak of the Iran war in late February, Kyiv has increasingly used its expertise in drone warfare to secure defence agreements with foreign partners during diplomatic engagements across Europe and the Middle East.

Rustem Umerov, chairman of Ukraine's Defence and Security Council, said Latvia had become the sixth country to join Ukraine's international drone cooperation initiative.

Last month, Zelenskyy said nearly 20 countries had expressed interest in establishing drone-related partnerships with Ukraine.

"Ukraine is interested in ensuring that every region of Europe has sufficient protection against Russian threats," he said on X.

Baltic states face growing drone security concerns

The agreement comes amid heightened concerns over airspace security in the Baltic region.

Recent weeks have seen several drones enter the airspace of Baltic NATO members. The incidents have coincided with an increase in Ukraine's long-range strikes against Russian energy infrastructure.

Ukrainian officials have attributed the incursions to Russian electronic warfare systems interfering with drone navigation and altering flight paths.

Speaking earlier alongside Estonian President Alar Karis, Zelenskyy said Ukraine was deploying specialists to assist partner countries in strengthening air defence and counter-drone capabilities.

The drone agreement with Latvia reflects Kyiv's broader effort to turn wartime innovations into long-term security partnerships across Europe.

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