Drone coalition will adapt to meet all needs of Ukrainian military – Latvian Foreign Minister

Baiba Braže, who has recently been appointed the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Latvia, has shared her thoughts on how the so-called "coalition of drones", which is co-chaired by Latvia, is going to meet the needs of Ukraine's Armed Forces.

Braže said in an interview with European Pravda that the coalition of drones agrees all its plans with Ukraine’s needs, and that these plans are constantly being reviewed and updated.

"You don’t just need the cheapest FPV drones, but also more advanced medium-range drones, and so on. We are looking for this equipment, procuring it, and, if necessary, searching for additional equipment. We’re also developing and manufacturing new drones. We’re doing all this alongside our Ukrainian partners," Braže said.

She added that the coalition has a branch responsible for the development of new drones, which receives contributions from other countries that have pledged to help Ukraine with drone procurement.

"All in all, we’re working to ensure Ukraine gets this equipment. As I have already mentioned, Ukraine doesn’t just need reconnaissance or one-off attack capabilities. You need capabilities that would enable proactive defence across medium and long ranges," Braže said.

The coalition initially committed to providing one million drones by mid-2025. However, Braže predicted that this number may change.

"Cheap drones are one thing, and more advanced drones are another. So we will see whether it will be a million [drones] or a different number. It will depend on what the armed forces need. And we will adapt to those needs," she explained.

The UK and Latvia are leading an international "drone coalition" formed as part of the Contact Group on Ukraine’s Defence (also known as the Ramstein Group).

In mid-April, the Latvian government decided to send the first batch of drones to Ukraine as part of the drone coalition.