Kyiv Commits Additional $22M to Defense Forces, Supplies 2,700 Drones to Assault Brigade

Kyiv delivered nearly 2,700 drones and a dozen ground robotic systems (GRCs) to the 5th Separate Assault Kyiv Brigade on Friday, Nov. 6, only a day after the city’s council allocated an extra Hr. 1 billion ($22 million) for Ukraine’s Security and Defense Forces. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced the delivery in a statement on Telegram, calling it a new batch of aid from the capital’s community to the troops fighting on the front lines.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Since the beginning of this year, the city community has provided a total of over 65,000 UAVs [unmanned aerial vehicles]” to several types of military units of different brigades, Klitschko said. Most of the current shipment consists of drones of various types – the brigade received 2,200 first-person-view (FPV) drone and 450 reconnaissance drones, including Mavic 3 Pro and Matrice 4 models, as well as 28 kamikaze drones, 10 fixed-wing UAVs and two strike bomber systems. With the extra Hr. 1 billion ($22 million) from the city budget, which the council approved on Thursday, Nov. 5, the capital’s total military support for 2026 amounts to Hr. 6 billion ($132 million). Kyiv increases defense spending The capital has steadily raised its military support since the start of the full-scale invasion. According to Klitschko’s earlier statement, Kyiv had allocated nearly Hr. 7 billion ($154 million) to the security and defense forces in 2023, including Hr. 1 billion ($22 million) specifically for drones. Other Topics of Interest Trump Jr. Discusses Deals With Russian Oligarch, Report Says Umar Kremlev reportedly met Donald Trump Jr. in Kazakhstan, adding scrutiny to ties that include wedding gifts and a Mongolian hunting trip. The 2024 budget initially provided Hr. 1.2 billion ($26 million) for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU), Klitschko said, announcing another Hr. 500 million ($11 million) for military drones at the time. In 2025, Kyiv allocated more than Hr. 12 billion ($264 million) to soldiers, veterans and their families, Klitschko said on Dec. 24, 2025, noting that Kyiv had also sent nearly 70,000 drones and 350 electronic warfare systems to frontline units. The 2026 city budget initially set aside Hr. 2 billion ($44 million) for the Defense Forces, Ukrainian media reported, citing Klitschko. On Jan. 15, he announced a council vote adding Hr. 3 billion ($66 million) to the “Defender of Kyiv” program for drones, electronic warfare systems and other equipment for military units. The increase was approved and another Hr. 2 billion ($44 million) added on June 18. Outages spark public dispute The delivery comes as Russia steps up its air campaign across Ukraine ahead of winter, with near-daily strikes on civilian and critical infrastructure, including energy and water facilities. Such attacks have left residents nationwide without power, heat and running water, with outages lasting from several hours to several days. The disruptions have also triggered a public dispute between President Volodymyr Zelensky and Klitschko. Zelensky claimed Kyiv was facing the country’s most serious utility disruptions, blaming both Russia’s strikes on energy infrastructure and the city’s failure to carry out its own decisions on preparing for the heating season. “The worst situation is in Kyiv,” he said, without naming the decisions or any officials. Meanwhile, Klitschko defended the city’s preparations in a sharp follow-up post, several hours after Zelensky’s statement on Friday. He asked which “city-level” decisions the president had in mind and pointed out that Kyiv began its heating season on Oct. 16. Because Ukraine’s energy system is interconnected, he argued, damage in one region affects supply across the country. Klitschko also accused the central government of trying to sideline him at the city’s expense. “In an attempt to get rid of Klitschko by any means, by constantly creating obstacles and not helping the capital, the central government is actually destroying Kyiv,” he wrote, calling for an end to the dispute. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.