The European Union has released €3.47 billion ($4 billion) to Ukraine to help finance the purchase of drones, missiles, air defence systems and Swedish-made Gripen fighter jets, the European Commission has announced.
The payment forms part of the €90 billion ($103 billion) Ukraine Support Loan approved by the bloc earlier this year. The loan is part of a wider package allocating roughly €60 billion to defence procurement and €30 billion to direct budget support for Kyiv.
It follows two earlier payments: a €3.2 billion ($3.67 billion) instalment on 25 June to support Ukraine's general government financing, and €3.9 billion ($4.48 billion) transferred on 30 June specifically for drone procurement.
A European Commission spokesperson told reporters that a further €1.1 billion ($1.26 billion) has been allocated to other defence procurement, bringing total disbursements for defence purposes to €8.5 billion ($9.75 billion) so far. The Commission expects to transfer €28 billion ($32.13 billion) for defence by the end of the year.
The latest payments come amid a broader push to deepen EU-Ukraine defence-industrial ties.
In mid-July, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen travelled to Kyiv, where she and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed a new EU-Ukraine Defence Industrial Partnership alongside a dedicated 'Drone Deal', aimed at integrating Ukrainian battlefield expertise with European industrial capacity.
The visit also included a separate €1 billion ($1.15 billion) disbursement for drone capabilities. Since then, further funding tranches have been unlocked under the same €90 billion ($103 billion) loan and the EU's SAFE defence loans programme, covering additional drone systems, deep-strike missiles and the acquisition of Gripen fighter jets.
The €90 billion ($103 billion) loan was politically stalled in early 2026 because of a Hungarian veto before securing the backing of member states later in the year, clearing the way for the accelerated pace of disbursements now under way.
Read more about the Russia-Ukraine conflict:
Four major German political foundations have halted their work in Georgia as tighter rules on foreign grants put pressure on a decades-old partners...
The U.S. has deployed two additional Patriot missile batteries to the Gulf, protecting key energy facilities in Saudi Arabia and Qatar as Washingto...
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan held talks in Tehran on Monday on bilateral ties and efforts t...
Iran's Oil Minister Mohsen Paknejad has resigned, with Hamid Bovard, chief executive of the state-owned National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), appointed as acting oil minister, according to Iranian state media.
Right-wing Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a runoff of the presidential election later this month, after he exceeded expectations in Sunday's first-round vote with a slight lead over the incumbent.
Candidates elected to Bosnia and Herzegovina's three-member presidency declared victory after preliminary unofficial results showed Denis Becirovic leading the Bosniak seat, Darijana Filipovic ahead in the Croat seat and Zeljka Cvijanovic likely retaining the Serb seat.
Uzbekistan’s grape exports have grown rapidly. In January-August 2025, the country exported 86,200 tonnes of fresh grapes worth $78.3 million to 19 countries but can it turn these crops into a recognisable international product?
Iran says the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the United States meets seven conditions agreed under a June memorandum, as President Donald Trump signals he may soon decide whether to resume military operations against Tehran.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 5 October 2026. These are the top five elections making headlines around the world.
The United States has withdrawn all 12 of its B-1 bombers from RAF Fairford in Britain, just a week after several people were arrested over an alleged plot targeting the air base.
Australian counterterrorism authorities are examining the links of the co-pilot accused of attacking the captain and attempting to take control of a flydubai flight bound for Israel. Authorities in New Zealand have also said they are investigating reports the suspect had spent time in that country.
Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez on Monday called a snap election for 29 November in a bid to strengthen his mandate after a fragmented parliament rejected the government's key housing decrees last week amid widespread protests.
King Charles’ younger brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has launched legal action against Thames Valley Police over his arrest in connection with an investigation into documents allegedly passed to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, the Telegraph reported on Sunday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment