Estonia eyes Ukrainian-made “high quality” drones for its armed forces

Estonia’s defense leadership is considering Ukrainian drone suppliers to strengthen its armed forces, with plans for cooperation potentially enhancing Ukraine’s defense production capabilities.

Nov 1, 2024 - 18:00

Estonia eyes Ukrainian-made “high quality” drones for its armed forces

An FPV drone operator during the Victory Drones training

Estonia is considering the possibility of purchasing drones from Ukraine for its military, ERR reports.

Estonia has significantly ramped up its support for Ukraine amid the war with Russia, with total military aid reaching around €500 million since 2022. In the spring of 2024, the Estonian government announced €650,000 in humanitarian aid focused on enhancing educational opportunities and assisting children in frontline areas. Additionally, Estonia plans to restructure its military assistance, which amounted to about €100 million in 2023—approximately 0.25% of its GDP—by procuring military products from local companies. This strategy aims to bolster both Ukraine’s defense capabilities and Estonia’s domestic industry.

Recently, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur and Commander of the Estonian Defense Forces Andrus Merilo discussed supplying the country’s armed forces with drones from Ukraine.

Pevkur noted that the quality of drones manufactured in Ukraine is very high.

“If we announce a tender, it will be open to Ukrainian companies. It means we will see offers from Ukrainian, Estonian, and Western manufacturers,” the minister said.

In November, Pevkur will meet with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov to discuss arms procurement opportunities.

“We have already discussed this issue. If there are companies in Ukraine that can offer what we need, Umerov sees no political restrictions on this,” the Estonian minister noted.

Last month, Pevkur said the Estonian government was interested in procuring weapons from the Ukrainian defense industry, according to Militarnyi.

The minister believes such cooperation could help Ukraine’s defense industry increase production volumes.

A restriction on arms exports, currently in effect during martial law, poses a challenge to implementing defense cooperation between Estonia and Ukraine.

However, Pevkur said the restriction would not be an obstacle if the countries reached an agreement, and such cooperation would benefit both Estonia and Ukraine.

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