Norway will allocate NOK 6.5bn ($644m) to purchase drones and drone technology from Ukrainian and other European manufacturers for Ukraine’s needs, the country’s government website said on Wednesday.
According to the information, Norway officially joined a coalition for the development of drone technology in April and had previously announced its intention to increase support for the Ukrainian defence industry and the purchase of drones for Ukraine.
This is reportedly the first large-scale purchase of drones directly from foreign manufacturers. This is in line with one of the objectives behind the decision made in March this year by the Storting to increase support for Ukraine by NOK 50 billion (about $5 billion) by 2025.
The Norwegian government prioritises meeting military needs on the basis of what Ukraine itself identifies as most important.