Estonia Advances Military Aid to Ukraine with New Drone and Counter-Drone Package

Estonia is preparing a new military assistance package for Ukraine that centres on delivering drones and counter-drone systems, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence. 

The proposed aid was discussed between Ukraine’s Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and his Estonian counterpart Hanno Pevkur in early February, amid continued Russian air and unmanned aerial attacks. In their talks, Fedorov highlighted the impact of a recent large-scale Russian strike involving around 70 missiles and hundreds of strike drones. 

A key objective of the assistance package is to enhance Ukraine’s ability to detect and defeat enemy unmanned aerial systems. Estonia and Ukraine are also working toward a bilateral agreement on the joint manufacture of weapons on Estonian territory for use by Ukrainian forces. This cooperation aims to strengthen Ukraine’s access to critical systems and could expand industrial links between the two defence sectors. 

Fedorov underscored that developing a distributed air defence architecture and improving strike drone interception remain top priorities for Ukraine and its partners. His remarks reflect broader efforts by Kyiv and NATO allies to bolster integrated air defence and counter-UAS capabilities in the face of evolving threats. 

Estonia has reaffirmed its commitment to allocate at least 0.25 % of national GDP annually toward security assistance for Ukraine, and continues to contribute to joint initiatives such as the PURL procurement mechanism supporting Ukrainian defence needs. The discussions also touched on information-technology cooperation, with Ukrainian digital systems expected to be available for Estonian testing without bureaucratic barriers.