Rank #7 · Europe
Ukraine spent $84.1 billion on its military in 2025 per SIPRI — 40% of GDP, the highest defence burden in the world by a wide margin. Domestic outlays are supplemented by foreign military assistance counted separately, totalling more than €120 billion in commitments since February 2022. Ukraine's wartime force structure has stabilized at ~880,000 personnel, with frontline combat continuing along a ~1,200 km contact line through Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson oblasts.
Ukraine's 2026 budget law, signed by President Zelenskyy in December 2025 after extensive Rada debate, allocates ₴2.8 trillion (~$66 billion) to the defence and security sector — 27.2% of projected GDP and roughly 60% of all state expenditure. Within that envelope: ~₴1.3 trillion for personnel salaries (frontline troops earn ~₴100,000/month), ₴709.8 billion for weapons and equipment, and ₴139 billion in unforeseen reserves. The April 2025 EU agreement provides €45 billion in 2026 (first tranche June 2026) to backfill non-military expenditure freed up for defence. SIPRI's $84.1B figure for 2025 captures actual outlays rather than the higher 2025 budget law commitment of ₴2.2 trillion. Foreign military assistance (US PDA, EU PMA, ERA loan from frozen Russian assets) is excluded from SIPRI's figure.
The Defence Forces of Ukraine total ~880,000 personnel under the Commander-in-Chief, General Oleksandr Syrskyi (since February 2024). Components include the Armed Forces (Ground Forces, Air Force, Navy, Air Assault Forces, Special Operations Forces, Unmanned Systems Forces — created June 2024 as the world's first dedicated drone branch), the National Guard, the State Border Guard Service, and Territorial Defence Forces. Brigade-level reorganization to corps structures began late 2024 to address command-and-control problems. The Air Force operates F-16s (delivered from Denmark, Netherlands, Norway, Belgium since August 2024) alongside MiG-29s and Su-27s. Ukraine has lost ~30 of an estimated 80 F-16 commitment to date. Drone units field over 1.5 million UAVs annually.
Ukraine's defence industry has expanded dramatically under wartime mobilization. The state holding (formerly Ukroboronprom, restructured 2023 as JSC Ukrainian Defence Industry) and a sprawling ecosystem of ~500 private firms produce 1.5+ million FPV drones annually, 200,000+ artillery shells, the Bohdana 155mm SPG (production lines reportedly hit 36/month by late 2025), and the Neptune anti-ship/land-attack cruise missile (used in long-range strikes on Russian territory). Long-range "deep strike" drones — including the Liutyi, Bober, and AN-196 — have struck oil refineries up to 1,800 km inside Russia. Foreign joint ventures with Rheinmetall (Lynx IFV plant), BAE (in negotiation), and Czech firms expand capacity. Domestic procurement covers ~40% of military needs by value.
Ukraine remains in active high-intensity warfare with Russia in its fifth year. The contact line of ~1,200 km runs through Donetsk (Pokrovsk, Kostiantynivka, Toretsk axes), Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Kherson oblasts. Russian forces hold ~18% of Ukraine's pre-2014 territory. Ukraine's August 2024 Kursk Oblast incursion held ground inside Russia until Russian/North Korean counter-offensives reduced the bridgehead through 2025. Long-range strikes continue against Russian energy infrastructure, drone factories (Alabuga), and Black Sea Fleet assets. The Black Sea Fleet has been pushed largely out of western Crimea by Magura V5 USVs and Storm Shadow/SCALP-EG cruise missiles.
SIPRI's April 2026 release placed Ukraine #7 globally at $84.1B, a 20% real-terms rise. The Unmanned Systems Forces, established June 2024, is the world's first dedicated drone service branch. President Zelenskyy and Donald Trump signed the US-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund (critical-minerals deal) on April 30, 2025. F-16 deliveries continued through 2025 with the first Dutch jets arriving in February 2025. EU candidate negotiations opened June 2024; Cluster 1 (fundamentals) opened June 2025. The 2026 EU loan agreement (€45B) was finalized April 2025, partly backed by frozen Russian sovereign assets via the ERA loan.
Ukraine spent $84.1 billion on its military in 2025 per SIPRI — 40% of GDP, the highest defence burden in the world. The 2026 budget law allocates ₴2.8 trillion (~$66 billion) to defence and security, ~60% of all state spending. Foreign military assistance is counted separately and exceeds €120 billion in cumulative commitments since 2022.
Approximately 40% of GDP in 2025 per SIPRI, falling to ~27% in the 2026 budget law as projected GDP rises. No country in modern history has sustained this level of defence burden. The figure excludes foreign military assistance, which adds another ~30-40% of GDP equivalent annually.
Approximately 880,000 personnel across the Armed Forces of Ukraine, National Guard, State Border Guard Service, and Territorial Defence. The Unmanned Systems Forces, established June 2024, is the world's first dedicated drone service branch. Mobilization legislation lowered the conscription age to 25 in April 2024.
Foreign military aid commitments since February 2022 exceed €120 billion. Top contributors include the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, France, Poland, the Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, and Sweden. Domestic production now supplies ~40% of military needs by value, including Bohdana SPGs, Neptune cruise missiles, and 1.5+ million drones annually.
Cumulative aid commitments since February 2022 exceed €270 billion (financial, military, humanitarian combined) per the Kiel Institute. Military assistance specifically tops €120 billion. The US contributed roughly $66B, Germany €28B, and the UK £13.7B. EU members combined exceed US contributions in 2025-26.