Denmark commits €40 million to boost Ukraine's wartime innovations

The Danish government has allocated DKK 300 million (nearly €40 million) to an innovation fund aimed at supporting Ukraine's urgent need for rapid technological advancements on the battlefield.

Earlier, Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen had held consultations with the Foreign Affairs Committee, which backed the allocation of DKK 300 million to the Ukraine innovation fund.

The innovation fund will prioritise technology areas such as electronic warfare and drones, where rapid advancements and new solutions have a significant impact on the battlefield.

"There is no doubt that Ukraine has a great need to withstand the enormous pressure it is experiencing on the front line from Russian troops. Developing new technological solutions on the battlefield is one of the ways through which Ukrainians can counterbalance Russian superiority, and the funds from the Innovation Pool will help to do so. It's essential that we continue supporting Ukraine so they can continue their fight for freedom," said Lund Poulsen.

Given Russia’s significant advantage in materiel and personnel since the war began, Ukraine has had to develop new technologies while also relying on foreign expertise, funding and cooperation.

Copenhagen has been a key military donor to Ukraine, with its support model contributing to the strengthening of Ukraine's defence production capacity.

"It's been extremely inspiring to see how Ukraine has managed to establish an impressive arms production in a very short time. I've visited arms manufacturers in Ukraine myself and I think we can learn a lot from the efficiency that the Ukrainians have achieved over the three years of war," he stressed.

"Now, we are taking our cooperation with the Innovation Pool a step further, and I look forward to exploring how we can strengthen Ukraine’s fight for freedom in a new way, with this process unfolding in Denmark to a greater extent and in collaboration with the Armed Forces," Poulsen added.

In February, Denmark, which committed to assisting in the recovery of Ukraine's Mykolaiv Oblast, allocated a fresh €26 million package of support for the region.

Recently, the coalition of drones for Ukraine, which also includes Denmark, allocated €20 million from a joint fund to purchase tactical-level intelligence surveillance drones (ISR) for the Ukrainian defence forces.