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On Thursday, Britain announced a £225 million ($286 million) military aid package for Ukraine, set for implementation next year. The package includes advanced drones, specialized boats, and air defense systems to bolster Ukraine’s defense capabilities amidst ongoing tensions.
A further £68 million will be used for air defence equipment including radars, and 1,000 counter-drone electronic warfare systems at a cost of £39 million would be supplied to the Ukrainian army.
Following a visit to Kyiv on Wednesday, where the UK’s Defence Secretary John Healey met with his Ukrainian counterpart, Rustem Umerov, discussions centered on enhancing British military support for Ukraine by 2025. The visit underscored the UK’s ongoing commitment to fortifying Ukraine’s defense capabilities amid the evolving geopolitical climate.
“But they cannot go it alone,” Healey added, vowing the UK’s support for Kyiv was “ironclad” and Britain would always stand “shoulder to shoulder to ensure Putin cannot win”.
Last July, the Labour government announced an ambitious plan to dedicate £3 billion annually to military support for Ukraine over the next decade. The defence ministry has since outlined that £92 million from the upcoming package will be directed toward enhancing Ukraine’s navy, with investments in small boats, reconnaissance drones, and advanced uncrewed surface vessels.
The package also sets aside £68 million to enhance Ukraine’s air defense infrastructure, including state-of-the-art radars. Additionally, £39 million will be invested in delivering 1,000 counter-drone electronic warfare systems to strengthen the Ukrainian army’s operational readiness.
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Healey said the UK would also boost a training programme for Ukrainian soldiers run with key allies on British soil known as Operation Interflex, under which 51,000 recruits have been trained since mid-2022.
“With Putin resorting to sending as many as 2,000 Russian soldiers to their deaths on the battlefield each day, it is critical that Ukraine is supported with a supply of properly trained and equipped soldiers,” the ministry statement said.
Umerov thanked the UK for its support and said in a statement that the “stable delivery of ammunition, especially for artillery, is critically important for our defence efforts”.
He added the two men had reviewed the results of the use of Storm Shadow missiles, without providing details.
London gave Kyiv the green light to launch the UK-supplied, long-range missiles into Russia for the first time in November.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was slated to hold a pivotal meeting with NATO chief Mark Rutte and prominent European leaders in Brussels late Wednesday. The agenda revolved around recalibrating strategies against Russia’s invasion, amid mounting concerns over the potential global implications of Donald Trump’s expected political resurgence in the United States.
As Ukraine’s weary soldiers struggle to maintain their positions along the battlefront, Western supporters are intensifying efforts to provide critical aid, amid revelations that Moscow has enlisted North Korean forces to strengthen its ranks.
