€90bn talk as battlefield risks rise

Ukraine and the European Commission are trying to unblock a €90 billion support package as Kyiv warns Russian missiles and drones are still passing close to nuclear sites. (president.gov.ua) (usnews.com) President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said after a call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on April 21 that both sides discussed releasing the €90 billion package and coordinating next steps at an in-person meeting. He said Ukraine had already taken “all necessary steps” on its side. (president.gov.ua) (ukrinform.net) The European Commission said on April 1 it had started preparatory work for the Ukraine Support Loan, a €90 billion program for 2026 and 2027 meant to cover budget support and urgent defense procurement. The proposal still requires member-state decisions on how support is allocated. (europa.eu) Part of that money is already being tied to drone production. European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius said on April 15 that the first supply plan would focus on Ukrainian-made drones, with the first tranche expected by the end of the second quarter of 2026. (militarnyi.com) (europa.eu) Zelenskyy has also been pushing what he calls a “Drone Deal,” a multi-year format for security cooperation on unmanned systems and air defense against mass strikes on civilian and critical infrastructure. His office said this month that Ukraine and the Netherlands agreed to start work on that format and on joint drone production. (president.gov.ua 1) (president.gov.ua 2) The funding push is unfolding as Ukrainian officials describe continuing military risks around the Chornobyl site. Prosecutor General Ruslan Kravchenko told Reuters that 35 Kinzhal hypersonic missiles had been detected within about 20 kilometers of either Chornobyl or the Khmelnytskyi nuclear plant, and that 18 passed within that radius of both sites on the same flight. (usnews.com) Kravchenko also said 92 drones had flown within 5 to 20 kilometers of the Chornobyl plant since the full-scale invasion began. The International Atomic Energy Agency said it has repeatedly warned that military activity near nuclear facilities raises nuclear safety and security risks. (firstpost.com) (usnews.com) On the battlefield, the Institute for the Study of War said on April 21 that recent Russian claims of rapid advances were overstated. The group said it had observed evidence of 381.5 square kilometers of Russian gains since January 1, far below the 1,700 square kilometers claimed by Russia’s top general, and said Russian forces had lost 59.79 square kilometers across the theater since March 1. (understandingwar.org) Russia’s Defence Ministry did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment on the missile flights near Chornobyl. The next test for Europe is whether capitals convert the Commission’s preparatory work and Zelenskyy’s lobbying into cash, contracts and deliveries on the timetable Kyiv is demanding. (usnews.com) (europa.eu)