EU Approves €6.1 Billion Defence Package for Ukraine on Independence Day
The funds cover air and missile defence systems, missiles, ammunition and radars. British Prime Minister Andy Burnham also handed over Storm Shadow component blueprints.
Kyiv1 min read
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The European Commission approved €6.1 billion in new defence procurement for Ukraine on August 24, Ukraine's Independence Day. The money will buy air and missile defence systems, missiles, ammunition and radars.
Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the package responds to intensified Russian attacks. July alone saw 376 missile strikes. The funding forms part of the €90 billion Ukraine Support Loan and adds to €16 billion already approved, of which €8.35 billion has been disbursed.
Most of the contracts will go to European defence companies. Ukraine can request payments once contracts are signed. The broader loan allocates €30 billion for budget support and €60 billion for defence across 2026-2027.
On the same day British Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Kyiv for the first time in office. He confirmed that the United Kingdom has declassified blueprints for key British components of the Storm Shadow cruise missile. The information will allow Ukraine, working with France, to assemble its own versions of the long-range weapon.
Russia called the blueprint transfer an escalation. Burnham rejected the criticism and said support for Ukraine would continue. European leaders used the Independence Day gathering to reaffirm security guarantees while Russian strikes continued to hit civilian targets, including a shopping centre earlier in the weekend that killed 16 people.
The combination of new European money and technology transfer aims to strengthen Ukraine's ability to intercept ballistic missiles and strike deeper into Russian-held territory. Delivery timelines and production capacity will determine how quickly the measures affect the battlefield.
