Lithuania will allocate additional 20 million euros for the purchase of drones and will adopt Ukraine’s experience - Defense Minister Kasčiūnas
This year, Lithuania plans to allocate an additional 20 million euros to purchase various types of combat and reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicles. The funds will also be used to train instructors and drone operators who will adopt the experience of Ukrainians.
This was announced on Facebook by Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurinas Kasčiūnas, Censor.NET reports.
"This morning, we agreed with Finance Minister Gintare Skyste that we will soon allocate an additional 20 million euros this year for the purchase of combat drones and unmanned reconnaissance aircraft," the head of the country's defense ministry said.
According to the official, these funds will also be used to train instructors and drone operators, who will learn from the experience of Ukrainians. According to Kasciūnas, such cooperation will allow Lithuania to reach a "new, high-quality level."
The next step, he said, will be to integrate UAV capabilities into Lithuanian military structures.
"The selected integration model will be presented by September," Kasčiūnas said.
He also reminded that the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense has already allocated EUR 10 million to domestic UAV manufacturers this year to develop drone capabilities.
As a reminder, Lithuania is one of the countries participating in the "drone coalition" within the framework of the Contact Group on Ukraine's defense.
