Britain on Thursday unveiled a package of £163;225 million ($286 million) in new military aid to Ukraine over the next year, including drones, boats and air defense systems.
The move comes after Britain’s Defense Secretary John Healey visited Kiev on Wednesday, holding talks with his Ukrainian counterpart Rustam Umerov and vowing to step up British support to Ukraine in 2025.
Three years after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine, “the depth of his miscalculation is clearer than ever, as the brave people of Ukraine continue to defy all expectations with their unwavering spirit,” Healy said. “
“But they can’t do it alone,” Healey said, adding that Britain’s support for Kiev was “steadfast” and that Britain would always be “shoulder to shoulder to make sure Putin doesn’t win”.
In July, the new Labor government vowed to give Ukraine £163;3 billion of military aid per year by 2030–2031.
The Defense Ministry said in a statement that the new package would include £92 million for equipment to strengthen Ukraine’s navy, including small boats, reconnaissance drones and uncrewed surface ships.
An additional £163;68 million will be used for air defense equipment including radar, and 1,000 counter-drone electronic warfare systems will be supplied to the Ukrainian military at a cost of £163;39 million.
Healy said the UK would also promote a training program for Ukrainian troops run with key allies on British soil, known as Operation Interflex, which has trained 51,000 recruits since mid-2022 .
“Putin is sending nearly 2,000 Russian soldiers to die on the battlefield every day, so it is vital that Ukraine is supported by the supply of properly trained and equipped troops,” the ministry statement said.
Umerov thanked the UK for its support and said in a statement that “stable delivery of ammunition, especially for artillery, is critically important for our defense efforts”.
He said the two men had reviewed the consequences of the use of Storm Shadow missiles, without giving details.
London gave Kiev the green light to launch Britain-supplied, long-range missiles at Russia for the first time in November.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was due to meet NATO chief Mark Rutte and key European leaders in Brussels late on Wednesday to strategize on Russia’s war ahead of Donald Trump’s return to power in the United States.
Western backers are trying to shore up Ukraine’s military as Kiev’s exhausted forces are losing ground on the front lines and Moscow has deployed North Koreans to the battlefield.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
