European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in her State of the Union address, announced a €6 billion loan to support Ukraine’s drone sector. The initiative aims not only to help Ukraine maintain its battlefield advantage but also to strengthen Europe’s own position. According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, the country has the capacity to produce 10 million drones annually, and currently, about 80% of attacks are carried out using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
Von der Leyen’s announcement on September 10, just days after a large-scale Russian drone attack on Ukraine that also violated Polish airspace, included the creation of a drone alliance with Ukraine under the ERA framework. She emphasized that the EU can leverage its industrial potential to assist Ukraine in countering Russia’s drone war, to the benefit of both sides. Today, drones are responsible for over two-thirds of Russian equipment losses.
“Three and a half years into the full-scale war, its character has changed. Drones play an increasingly important role, and Russia has ramped up production on a massive scale. The Commission President announced a €6 billion program to continue cooperation with Ukraine’s drone system, which has mastered both speed and low-cost production. We are convinced that Europe must use Ukraine’s expertise and support it with concrete actions and new resources,” said Michał Szczerba, MEP from Civic Platform.
Growing Scale of Drone Warfare
According to the U.S. Combating Terrorism Center (CTC), Russia conducted nearly 1,000 Shahed drone attacks per month in 2024 in Ukraine. In the fall, this figure rose significantly, and between January and May 2025, the monthly average reached 3,500 attacks.
“I wrote to Ursula von der Leyen about drone defense systems. In Eastern Poland and Eastern Europe, we urgently need special anti-drone systems dedicated solely to tracking low-flying UAVs,” said Marta Wcisło, MEP from Civic Platform.
Szczerba added that EU funds, including from the European Defence Agency and the SAFE program, could finance such initiatives:
“The further Russia is kept from EU borders, the safer we are. Ukraine’s low-cost, high-volume drone production is remarkable—I visited factories where a few thousand euros can buy equipment capable of destroying enemy forces.”
Ukrainian Deputy Defense Minister Oleksandr Kozenko estimated at the Singapore Security Forum in June 2025 that Ukraine’s defense industry could produce 10 million drones annually across multiple categories, with UAVs accounting for 80% of battlefield attacks.
Support for Europe’s Eastern Flank
Von der Leyen also stressed the need to invest in Europe’s eastern flank.
“Eastern Poland and Eastern Europe face enormous security challenges. Airspace violations—of both the EU and NATO—legitimize immediate and decisive action, using every financial resource available, whether from SAFE or cohesion policy,” said Wcisło.
In September, the European Parliament approved a cohesion policy reform allowing member states and regions to redirect unused funds to new priorities such as defense and civil protection.
“Current cohesion policy is outdated—its uptake rate is low due to excessive bureaucracy. Unused funds should go toward Eastern Europe’s security. In the next budget, there must be instruments enabling member states to apply cohesion policy flexibly, including for defense,” Wcisło added.
Under the reform, regions reallocating at least 10% of program funds to new priorities will qualify for an extra advance payment of 1.5% of total Cohesion Fund support. For border regions neighboring Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, the figure could rise to 9.5%.
“Special financial tools should be targeted at border and frontline regions. In Eastern Poland, for example, we need dual-use investments: cultural or sports facilities that double as shelters in emergencies, and infrastructure such as roads that can accelerate troop movement,” Wcisło explained.
Long-Term EU Defense Initiatives
The EU has also launched broader defense programs, including “Readiness 2030”, which will mobilize €800 billion to increase defense spending, and the SAFE program, offering €150 billion in loans for joint defense procurement. The upcoming 2027–2034 EU budget is expected to include additional funds dedicated to armaments investment.
