Money raised from immobilised Russian assets has paid for more than £1 billion of weapons and military support, purchased by the UK on behalf of Ukraine, the Defence Secretary, John Healey, announced during a visit to Kyiv today.
This has enabled the delivery of hundreds of thousands of rounds of artillery ammunition, hundreds of air defence missiles, spare parts, and new support contracts to help maintain and repair its equipment and vehicles.
From Kyiv, the Defence Secretary also co-chaired a Coalition of the Willing virtual meeting with representatives from more than 30 countries to cement further military contributions to a multinational force to be deployed to Ukraine in the event of a peace deal.
He told the meeting that the UK is reviewing readiness levels of UK Armed Forces and accelerating funding to be ready for any deployment to Ukraine. Ministers also discussed the composition of a multinational force, as well as tactical detail relating to how the deployment would be strengthened across the skies, seas, and land.
The Defence Secretary spoke with Minister of Defence, Denys Shmyhal, about a major boost in the UK’s direct military support for Ukraine in recent weeks – having urged allies and partners this summer to join a 50-day drive to step up delivery of vital weapons and munitions to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position.
UK support provided in the last 50 days includes:
-
4.7 million rounds of small arms ammunition for Ukraine’s soldiers
-
60,000 artillery shells, rockets, and missiles
-
More than 2,500 drones
-
More than 200 electronic warfare systems
-
100 light weapons
-
30 vehicles
-
Additional counter-drone and air defence equipment
The Prime Minister and Defence Secretary have both been clear that the UK’s national security – the foundation of the Government’s Plan for Change – starts in Ukraine. The UK remains committed to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine, with £4.5 billion being spent on military support to Ukraine this year.
The Government has provided a £2.26 billion loan by the UK to Ukraine through the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration fund, which is being repaid using money raised from the proceeds from immobilised Russian assets.
Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, said:
The UK is stepping up our military support to help Ukraine defend itself in today’s fight against Putin’s illegal invasion, while working hard to secure peace tomorrow through the Coalition of the Willing.
More than £1 billion of military support for Ukraine has now been paid for by immobilised Russian assets, while we have accelerated deliveries of vital kit and equipment over the last 50 days into the hands of Ukrainian warfighters. We are also deepening and expanding our cooperation with defence industry and learning valuable lessons from the battlefield.
On my fifth visit to Ukraine, it was an honour to meet Minister Shmyhal to stress our continued unity for Ukraine – both from the UK and across the Coalition of the Willing.
The Defence Secretary hailed the growing ties between the UK and Ukraine’s defence industrial sectors during the visit.
The growing collaboration between the UK and Ukraine’s defence sectors delivers on the 100-year partnership signed between the UK and Ukraine in January.
It comes as the Foreign Secretary confirmed new sanctions targeting perpetrators of Russia’s heinous attempts to deport, indoctrinate and militarise Ukrainian children.
To date, more than 19,500 Ukrainian children have been forcibly transferred or deported by the Russian authorities to Russia and the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine.
