Latvia hands over 100 FPV drones to Ukraine's defence forces
The Ukrainian military has received a hundred FPV drones from Latvia as part of the public charity initiative Drones for the Armed Forces.
On Monday, 3 February, the Embassy of Ukraine in Latvia hosted an event with the participation of Dace Melbārde, Parliamentary Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia, Ukraine's Ambassador to Latvia Anatolii Kutsevol, and the head of the Ziedot.lv charity foundation Rūta Dimanta, during which the shipment of 100 Latvian-made FPV drones to Ukraine was announced.
Under the coordination of the Embassy of Ukraine in Latvia, these drones will be handed over directly to two Ukrainian military units – the 21st Mechanised Brigade and the Liut Brigade of the National Guard of Ukraine.
The funds to purchase the drones were raised, among other things, during a charity initiative by Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže, who ran the Riga Half Marathon in May 2024, calling on the public to donate to the drones that the Ukrainian military desperately needs.
The project is held in cooperation with the Embassy of Ukraine in Latvia and the Latvian charity foundation Ziedot.lv and has raised about €130,000 so far.
"The purchase of one such drone can destroy millions of dollars worth of enemy military equipment. In this way, we will help Ukrainian defenders defeat the manpower and equipment of the Russian occupiers while supporting the Latvian economy and local drone manufacturers," Kutsevol said.
On 6 January, it was reported that the UK, together with NATO allies, including Latvia, would provide Ukraine with 30,000 new drones.
On 3 February, it was reported that in Lithuania, organisations supporting Ukraine and the Lithuanian National Radio and Television announced the launch of a new campaign, Radarom! The funds raised will purchase drones and anti-drone equipment for the Ukrainian defence forces.