UKRAINE SECURES EU LOAN AS DRONE CAMPAIGN TARGETS RUSSIA’S REAR

Ukraine’s parliament ratified a €90 billion loan agreement with the European Union on Thursday, giving Kyiv a major financial lifeline as the war with Russia continues into its fifth year. Reuters reported that lawmakers approved the agreement with 298 votes, well above the 226 needed for a majority, allowing the government to channel record funds toward defence, resilience, and budget needs.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Ukrainian lawmakers and European partners after the vote, saying the EU funds would strengthen Ukraine’s resilience. Reuters reported that the broader agreement is expected to support Ukrainian defence spending and the state budget at a time when Kyiv is trying to sustain military pressure while keeping core government services functioning.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Ukrainian lawmakers and European partners after the vote, saying the EU funds would strengthen Ukraine’s resilience. Reuters reported that the broader agreement is expected to support Ukrainian defence spending and the state budget at a time when Kyiv is trying to sustain military pressure while keeping core government services functioning.

The financing comes as Ukraine expands its use of medium-range drone strikes against Russian rear-area military infrastructure. Reuters reported Thursday that Ukrainian drone units are targeting Russian ammunition depots, air defences, military logistics routes, and other war-support infrastructure behind the front line. Ukrainian officials and analysts say these strikes are intended to slow Russian advances by disrupting the systems that keep front-line forces supplied.

Ukraine’s drone campaign has grown rapidly. Reuters reported that President Zelenskyy said “middle strike” operations had quadrupled since February, while Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov announced an additional 5 billion hryvnias, or about $113 million, in funding for successful medium-strike units. Analysts cited by Reuters said the strikes are not decisive on their own, but can weaken Russian logistics, air defence coverage, and oil-related infrastructure over time.

The battlefield context remains difficult. Russia still controls about 20% of Ukraine, including areas occupied since 2014, according to Reuters. Russian forces seized around 50 square kilometres this month, a slower pace than earlier periods but still evidence that Moscow is continuing offensive pressure. Ukraine’s strategy is to combine defence of the front line with deeper strikes on the systems Russia needs to sustain that pressure.

The two parts of the story are connected. The EU loan helps Ukraine keep the state and military financed. The drone campaign shows where some of Ukraine’s war effort is evolving: away from relying only on large formations and toward cheaper, domestically produced systems that can pressure Russian logistics and rear-area infrastructure. That shift does not remove Ukraine’s need for artillery, air defence, manpower, or foreign support, but it gives Kyiv another way to impose costs on Russia.

For Europe, the loan is also a strategic signal. It shows the EU is preparing to support Ukraine through a longer war, even as U.S. attention is divided by crises in the Middle East and elsewhere. For Ukraine, the question is whether new funding and expanding drone capabilities can slow Russian advances enough to improve Kyiv’s position before the next major diplomatic or battlefield shift.

Fact-check date: 28 May 2026
Sources: Reuters, Council of the European Union

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