Germany is funding the purchase of 50,000 attack drones for Ukraine, according to a source familiar with the matter. The order, worth approximately €90 million ($103 million), represents one of the largest known drone acquisitions for Kyiv by a Western government. The drones are Shrike first-person-view (FPV) models manufactured by major Ukrainian producer SkyFall and equipped with software from U.S. defense technology firm Auterion. This software enables the drones to autonomously track and hit moving targets during the final phase of flight.
Details of the Contract and Deliveries
Auterion CEO Lorenz Meier confirmed the size of the contract, stating that some drones have already been delivered to Ukraine's government, with the remainder scheduled for dispatch later this year. Meier told Reuters the funding came from a European country, which sources identified as Germany. SkyFall acknowledged Germany's involvement but declined to comment on purchase specifics. Germany's Defence Ministry and Ukraine's Defence Ministry both declined to comment, citing operational security.
Ukraine's Reliance on Drones
Ukraine has heavily depended on unmanned aerial vehicles during the more than four-year war against Russia. The country produces millions of drones annually, with Ukrainian forces conducting thousands of drone strikes each day. The Shrike drone, deployed in Ukraine since 2023, has recently gained international attention. A version called the Shrike 10-F, produced by SkyFall with UK company Skycutter, topped the leaderboard in the first round of a Pentagon-run competition as part of a $1.1 billion initiative to purchase hundreds of thousands of one-way attack drones.
Auterion's Role and Other Contracts
Auterion's software is being used in several entries in the Pentagon competition. Meier said Auterion is helping to supply a total of 100,000 drones for Ukraine this year in partnership with various hardware makers, funded by several Western governments. This includes a $50 million Pentagon contract to provide 33,000 drones, which Meier confirmed have been delivered to Ukraine. Last month, Britain announced it would provide 150,000 drones to Ukraine this year as part of a broader £752 million ($1.01 billion) funding package.
