EU urged to fund jet drone interceptors by defense minister
Photo: Ukrainian Minister of Defense Yevhen Khmara (Getty Images)
Ukraine is asking the European Union to finance interceptors for jet-powered Shahed drones and to transfer a portion of Patriot missiles from its own stockpiles. The funds are needed as early as this autumn, according to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. Defense Minister Yevheniy Khmara made the corresponding appeals on September 28 at a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council in the defense ministers' format.
Ukraine is seeking cheap and effective ways to shoot down jet-powered Shahed-type drones. Currently, such targets are intercepted, among other means, by missiles. Ukrainian manufacturers also offer their own solutions, which are showing positive results, but building a full-fledged countermeasure system takes time.
To accelerate the process, Khmara called on the EU to join in financing the interceptors so that they can reach the Defense Forces in sufficient quantities as quickly as possible. Separately, the minister emphasized the need for air-to-air missiles, MANPADS, and ammunition for F-16s.
To protect against ballistic threats, Ukraine, as before, critically needs missiles for Patriot systems. Therefore, Khmara proposed that EU countries transfer a portion of missiles from their stockpiles. In return, they will receive those that Ukraine is scheduled to receive later under existing contracts.
The minister also asked partners for several financial decisions. Ukraine wants funds from an EU loan to be shifted from 2027 to 2026, and the remaining funds from the SAFE program to be directed toward purchases for Ukraine. In addition, Kyiv is counting on additional money within the framework of bilateral assistance.
"Funds are needed this autumn to give manufacturers enough time to purchase components and produce drones on time. Especially given the mobilization that the enemy is already planning now," the Ministry of Defense statement reads.
In late August, Khmara reported that Ukraine had tested four potential interceptors for jet-powered Shaheds and plans to scale up their production to thousands of units. The task is not simple: such drones reach speeds of over 400–450 km/h, so most interceptors cannot keep up with jet-powered Shaheds. Experts have also discussed whether electronic warfare (EW) is capable of countering jet-powered drones.
The funding issue came to a head in early September when Prime Minister Serhiy Koretskyi announced a $27 billion deficit in the defense budget.
