Ukrainian military ground units will receive $60 million in monthly funding to purchase combat drones, the Ukraine Ministry of Defense announced Tuesday.

The new policy streamlines equipment purchasing for Ukrainian field commanders, who will no longer rely on centralized purchasing for necessary equipment.

“Commanders of the units will have the flexibility to use these funds to acquire the drones that are the most effective for carrying out mission requirements at the front,” Ukrainian Minister of Defense Rustem Umerov said of the change. “This marks another step towards building a highly flexible system to ensure the military has everything necessary for Ukraine’s defense.”

Ukraine had already provided roughly $50 million in direct monthly payments to combat units in December, hoping the program would improve drone procurement for Ukrainian troops.

The move could signal increased drone production in Ukraine, where unmanned aircraft have been crucial in holding off Russia’s invasion. In October, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that the country could produce around four million drones per year.

Since Russia began its assault in 2022, Ukraine has developed a so-called “army of drones” to conduct reconnaissance missions, lay mines and launch long-range strikes. Russia has also deployed its own fleets of drones, in a war of attrition that stretches across southern and eastern Ukraine.

• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.