EU Commission approves Ukraine's €10 billion defence procurement plans

The European Commission has approved Ukraine's plans to purchase €10 billion worth of drones and fighter jets under the European Union's €90 billion military financing programme, European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier has said.

Speaking at a briefing in Brussels, he noted that those contracts were necessary for the subsequent allocation of funds, Caliber.Az reports, citing Russian media.

"We have received new contracts from Ukraine worth a total of €10 billion, including for the purchase of drones and fighter jets. The European Commission has approved these contracts, which is necessary for the subsequent allocation of funds," he said, without specifying when the money would be transferred.

Regnier added that since June, the European Commission has disbursed €4.9 billion to Ukraine for drone procurement.

The Commission has previously clarified that Ukraine must submit all arms procurement contracts financed under the EU's €90 billion military funding programme for prior approval in Brussels.

As a general rule, the funds must be used to purchase weapons from European, British or Ukrainian manufacturers.

Kyiv must seek an exemption from the Commission for each procurement from third countries, including the United States, and such requests will only be approved if the European defence industry cannot provide a suitable alternative.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov