BRUSSELS — The European Union will disburse another 3.3 billion euros, or roughly $3.8 billion, to Ukraine for missile and drone procurement, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced after a phone call Thursday with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The funding will move through the EU's SAFE defense-financing mechanism, a program created to speed up joint European defense procurement and military assistance for Ukraine, according to a report on the announcement. Von der Leyen said the payment is intended to support Ukraine's urgent air-defense needs amid continued Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure and military targets.

More layers of support

Von der Leyen also noted that the EU approved funding last week for Patriot air-defense systems through its separate Ukraine Support Loan program, and said Brussels is prepared to use remaining SAFE resources to launch new joint defense projects directly with Ukrainian companies. Officials described plans to deepen cooperation on a broader European air and missile defense architecture that would formally involve Ukrainian industry — a sign the EU is trying to build long-term defense-industrial ties, not just write checks.

SUPPORTING UKRAINE'S URGENT DEFENSE NEEDS

The announcement lands as Russian drone and missile strikes on Ukrainian cities have continued largely unabated, including a strike on a shopping center in Sumy this week that killed two people and injured 20 others, underscoring why air-defense procurement remains Kyiv's most urgent request to its allies.

What's next

EU officials say the 3.3 billion euros will begin flowing to Ukrainian defense contracts in the coming weeks. Zelenskyy has continued to press European capitals for longer-term, multiyear commitments rather than incremental packages, arguing that predictable funding lets Ukraine plan production schedules with domestic drone and missile manufacturers rather than reacting package to package.