United Kingdom: The Defence Ministry of the UK has announced aid of a £245 million munitions package for Ukraine. The UK government will spend a billion pounds over next year to stock up and boost supply chains to produce urgently needed artillery ammunition to boost Ukraine’s stockpiles.
The announcement comes just two years after Putin invaded Ukraine illegally. The UK has been providing international support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) for 10 years since Russia first invaded Crimea in 2014. They have trained 60,000 recruits since 2015 and have provided nearly £12 billion in financial, humanitarian, and military aid since 2022.
During his address to Parliament, the Defence Secretary confirmed the delivery of an additional 200 Brimstone anti-tank missiles to the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU). This brings the total number of Brimstones supplied by the UK to Ukraine to over 1,300, which further strengthens the UK’s ongoing support for Ukraine. The UK was the first country to announce the delivery of modern Western tanks, represented by the Challenger 2, and also the first country to offer long-range precision missiles, in the form of the Storm Shadow.
Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary has stated that, “Two years ago to the day, Putin defied all rationality and regulation to launch his reckless and illegal full-scale invasion, throwing tens of thousands of unprepared and unwitting troops into what he described as a limited military operation. But as the war now enters its third year, the steadfast determination and resilience of the brave people of Ukraine continues to inspire the world.”
“Against all odds, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have pushed back the Russian invaders to recapture half of the land Putin stole, while significantly degrading Russia’s capabilities – with around 30 per cent of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet destroyed or damaged, and thousands of tanks and armoured vehicles reduced to scrap,” he continued.
“But they cannot win this fight without the support of the international community – and that’s why we continue to do what it takes to ensure Ukraine can continue to fight towards victory. Nearly a quarter of a billion pounds’ worth of UK funding will boost their critical stockpiles of artillery ammunition, while the Royal Air Force completes a further delivery of advanced tank-busting missiles. Together, we will ensure Putin fails, and a victory for democracy, the rules-based international order, and the Ukrainian people,” Shapps added.
In addition to the allowance for guns and missile packages, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), the procurement arm of the Memorandum of Deposit (MOD), has signed a new multi-million-pound contract with UK-based Cook Defence Systems. Under this contract, hundreds of spare Caterpillar tracks will be supplied. It will allow the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) to recover and restore vehicles damaged by anti-tank weapons and landmines. The agreements are financed by the UK and the International Fund for Ukraine.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps recently announced that the UK would be leading an international capabilities alliance alongside Latvia, to supply advanced drones to Ukraine. This comes in addition to the UK’s co-leadership of the International Maritime Capabilities Alliance, which was announced last December.
Cooke Defence Systems, a family-owned business from North East England, has signed new contracts that will help to strengthen the local economy and create 15 new job opportunities. The company specializes in examining and analysing old Soviet-era vehicles, some of which were salvaged from Ukraine, to create new tracks that meet modern requirements. These contracts are in line with the Prime Minister’s priority to grow the economy.
The Defence Staff Chief, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin has said that, “During the past two years, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have become one of the largest, most capable and respected fighting forces in the world. They have presided over extraordinary feats of operational and strategic success, from repelling Russian forces on the outskirts of Kyiv in the opening stages of the war to the spectacular and ongoing campaign in the Black Sea.”
“Today the Russian Army has lost half the territory it seized, over 350,000 men killed or wounded, thousands of tanks, artillery pieces and armoured fighting vehicles, the Russian Fleet has been driven from Crimea and Ukraine’s maritime exports are returning to pre-war levels. Russia is failing in all of its strategic objectives to subjugate Ukraine and challenge NATO,” Radakin added.
He further stated that, “If we maintain the unity and cohesion we’ve seen to date, and keep strongly supporting our brave Ukrainian partners – militarily, economically and diplomatically – Russia will continue to fail and Ukraine will build the foundations to flourish as a strong, prosperous and sovereign nation. And NATO continues to get even stronger.”
Last month, the Prime Minister announced during a visit to Kyiv that £18 million would be provided as humanitarian and financial aid to Ukraine. This additional funding will supplement the £340 million already supplied. Some of the funding will be directed towards supporting organizations like the UN and the Red Cross, enabling them to deliver humanitarian assistance to those on the front lines. Additionally, £8 million will be allocated to fortify Ukraine’s energy infrastructure against any further Russian attacks.
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