UK pledges 120,000 drones as allies boost Ukraine military aid package

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Ukraine’s allies pledged a massive new military aid package Wednesday, including 120,000 drones from the U.K., as Russia launched hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles in fresh overnight strikes.The commitments came as Kyiv warned of escalating Russian bombardments and urgently pressed for more air defenses.Russia launched 324 drones and three ballistic missiles at Ukraine overnight Wednesday, Ukrainian officials said, part of a broader surge in aerial assaults, according to Reuters.Russian strikes hit more than a half a dozen areas of Ukraine behind the front line on Tuesday and Wednesday, The Associated Press reported.‘ONLY TRUMP CAN STOP RUSSIA’: MILLIONS FACE FREEZING WINTER, UKRAINE ENERGY EXECUTIVE WARNS Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is turning battlefield innovation into bargaining power, offering anti-drone systems to Middle Eastern allies while seeking more air-defense support as the war with Russia drags into its fourth year. (Atta Kenare/AFP)Between November and March alone, Moscow fired roughly 27,000 Shahed-type drones, nearly 600 cruise missiles and 462 ballistic missiles, according to Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov.”Every day we need air defense missiles—every day Russia continues its strikes,” Zelenskyy said in a post on Telegram.The latest attacks struck multiple regions behind the front lines, killing an 8-year-old boy in the central Cherkasy region and injuring a woman in southern Zaporizhzhia, according to Ukrainian officials.RUSSIAN ATTACK ON KHARKIV WIPES OUT YOUNG FAMILY, LEAVING PREGNANT MOTHER AS SOLE SURVIVOR Firefighters put out the fire in a multi-story apartment building following a Russian missile attack in Kharkiv, Ukraine, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Andrii Marienko/AP)The war, which began with Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, has now stretched beyond three years.Defense leaders from about 50 countries met virtually Wednesday to coordinate military aid and boost weapons production and especially air defense systems.The session was led by German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and British Defense Secretary John Healey, with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also present. The United States was represented by Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby.RUSSIA LAUNCHES RECORD MISSILE BARRAGE AGAINST UKRAINE ONE DAY BEFORE PEACE TALKS SET TO RESUME IN ABU DHABI The remains of a Russian-made, Iran-designed Shahed-136 drone, known in Russia as a Geran-2, are displayed with other recovered drones, glide bombs, missiles and rockets in Kharkiv on July 30, 2025. (Scott Peterson/Getty Images)Several countries also announced new contributions to Ukraine. Germany and Ukraine agreed on a 4 billion-euro ($4.7 billion) defense package, while Norway pledged 9 billion euros (about $10.6 billion) in assistance.The Netherlands said it will spend 248 million euros ($293 million) to produce drones for Ukraine. The United Kingdom pledged 120,000 drones.CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APPRussia pushed back on the expanded support, warning that European efforts to boost drone production for Ukraine risk deepening their involvement in the conflict.The Russian Defense Ministry said the decisions by European countries to supply drones to Ukraine was leading to an escalation of the military-political situation and a “creeping transformation” into Ukraine’s strategic support base, TASS reported. Emma Bussey is a breaking news writer for Fox News Digital. Before joining Fox, she worked at The Telegraph with the U.S. overnight team, across desks including foreign, politics, news, sport and culture. 

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