Norway will allocate over $640 million to Ukraine for purchase of drones
Norway will provide Ukraine with 6.5 billion kroner (more than $640 million) for the purchase of drones and their technologies from Ukrainian and other European manufacturers.
This was reported by Censor.NET with reference to the government's press service.
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre noted the role of drones in Ukraine's struggle.
"They are important both to protect critical infrastructure and for use on the front line. The contribution from Norway will significantly enhance Ukraine’s capacity to carry out necessary surveillance and operations using drones," he emphasized.
The government noted that this is the first large-scale purchase of drones made directly from foreign manufacturers.
Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik said that funding for the purchase of drones would help build Ukraine's independent deterrence capability, which would also be important after a potential peace agreement is reached.
"We will continue to direct our support towards maritime security, air defence, drones and autonomous systems. We will also give priority to providing support for the procurement of defence equipment from Ukrainian manufacturers and the Nordic-Baltic cooperation on equipping and training new Ukrainian military units," he added.
The support provided and lessons learned from the war in Ukraine will also help to strengthen the Armed Forces and Norwegian defence capability, the government added.
