Defence Ministry confirms payment delays under ePoints and explains the reasons

The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine has confirmed that there are some technical delays in payments under the “Army of Drones. Bonus” programme, also known as ePoints. The ministry said that funding for the programme is provided for until the end of 2026, so all due payments for delivered equipment will be made.

The Ministry of Defence explained that the delays are mainly due to the planned refinancing of the programme using European Union loan funds, which involves additional procedures. Planned changes to the “points system” are also affecting the funding.

At the same time, the ministry said it is working constructively with the Verkhovna Rada Committee on National Security, Defence and Intelligence on implementing the programme.

In 2025, the “Army of Drones. Bonus” programme was funded from the special fund of the state budget. In particular, in September, the government allocated more than UAH 2 billion from the Ministry for Strategic Industries’ remaining funds, formed from part of the military tax.

In 2026, the funding mechanism changed. In June, the Verkhovna Rada approved using funds through the relevant parliamentary committee and also provided an additional source of funding — proceeds from a European Union loan.

Last week, Ihor Fedirko, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Council of Defence Industry, said that the Defence Procurement Agency owed manufacturers between UAH 24 million and hundreds of millions of hryvnias.