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Norway to Support Ukraine’s Maritime Drones With $127 Million Package
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Norway will commit about $127 million from its long-term military and civilian support framework for Ukraine this year to develop and acquire maritime drones.
The Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Defense set out the commitment in a statement on the government's official website on June 9.
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The funding targets Ukraine's Black Sea export corridor, a lifeline for its economy and global food security, as attacks on civilian ships using Ukrainian ports have climbed sharply.
The money will pay for unmanned surface vessels built through a Norwegian-Ukrainian industrial partnership, with deliveries from companies in both countries. Oslo has set a target of building the 200th such vessel by the end of the year.
The drones come in several configurations and can carry sensors, weapons, or smaller airborne drones. Ukraine already deploys maritime drones for reconnaissance, offensive strikes, and defense against Russian attacks.
"The Norwegian maritime industry is world-leading," Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre stated. "I am glad this expertise can also support Ukraine's struggle for freedom."
Støre met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday at a gathering of Nordic and Baltic leaders in Tallinn, where Zelenskyy attended as a guest of honor.
Norway and the United Kingdom jointly lead the maritime capability coalition formed in 2023 to support Ukraine. Oslo has steered that effort toward its shipbuilding strengths, now linking the drone work to bringing uncrewed vessels into the Norwegian Navy under a new long-term plan.
"It is important that we help make Ukraine able to protect civilian merchant traffic," Defense Minister Tore O. Sandvik noted. He added that the cooperation also builds experience for Norwegian personnel.
The Black Sea export corridor opened in September 2023 and has since carried about 200 million tonnes of cargo, of which more than half is grain. Strikes on civilian vessels serving Ukrainian ports have intensified in recent months.
Norway's parliament, the Storting, has approved continued military support for Ukraine through 2026 worth roughly $7.4 billion. The funds are allocated in close coordination with Ukrainian authorities to ensure they have the greatest impact.
The maritime funding extends a fast-deepening defense-industrial partnership between the two countries. On April 27, Kyiv and Oslo agreed to jointly manufacture several thousand mid-range strike drones on Norwegian soil—the first Ukrainian-Norwegian venture in drone production.
In May, the two also moved to co-produce long-range 155mm artillery shells designed to extend Ukraine's counter-battery reach.
Oslo has also worked through allied procurement channels. On May 6, Norway committed more than $300 million via NATO's Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List, a mechanism that pools allied money to buy US-made weapons for Kyiv. Officials framed the step as a strategic priority amid the regional security environment.
The cost of that support is reshaping Norway's own books. Figures for 2025, released on June 8, showed public defense spending had risen by half, to roughly $17 billion—equal to 3.1% of GDP. Aid to Ukraine was the single largest driver of the increase.
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