Germany is funding the purchase of 50,000 attack drones for Ukraine. The move marks one of the largest publicly reported drone procurement programmes by a Western government since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion.
A source familiar with the matter said the order involves Shrike first-person-view (FPV) drones manufactured by Ukrainian company SkyFall. The drones are equipped with autonomous targeting software developed by U.S. defence technology firm Auterion.
Auterion Chief Executive Lorenz Meier confirmed the size of the contract, valued at around €90 million ($103 million), adding that it was financed by a European country. SkyFall later confirmed Germany was the funding nation.
Meier said some of the drones have already been delivered to Ukraine, with the remaining units expected to arrive before the end of the year.
The drones are designed to autonomously track and strike moving targets during the final stage of flight, enhancing their effectiveness on the battlefield.
Germany's Defence Ministry declined to comment, citing operational security, while Ukraine's Defence Ministry also declined to provide details.
Ukraine has increasingly relied on drones throughout the more than four-year war, producing millions of unmanned aerial vehicles annually and carrying out thousands of drone strikes each day.
The Shrike platform has been in operational use since 2023 and has recently attracted international attention.
A version developed jointly by SkyFall and UK-based Skycutter topped the first round of a Pentagon competition aimed at selecting low-cost attack drones under a $1.1 billion procurement initiative. Western support grows
Meier said Auterion is helping supply around 100,000 drones to Ukraine this year through partnerships with multiple manufacturers and funding from several Western governments.
The total includes a $50 million Pentagon-funded programme that delivered 33,000 drones to Ukraine.
Last month, the United Kingdom also announced plans to provide 150,000 drones to Ukraine this year as part of a broader £752 million ($1 billion) military assistance package, reflecting the growing role of unmanned systems in the conflict.
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