The Defence Secretary will today announce a new package of
support for Ukraine and the signing of further air defence
contracts, procured through the International Fund for Ukraine.
A new package of military support for Ukraine, worth more than
£100m, will be announced by the Defence Secretary today. It will
help its armed forces clear minefields, maintain its vehicles,
and shore up defensive fortifications to protect critical
national infrastructure.
The support package, which will be provided using money from the
International Fund for Ukraine (IFU), will be jointly announced
today by the Defence Secretary and his counterparts from the IFU
partner nations at a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group
at NATO headquarters in Brussels.
It comes as the final contract from the previously announced IFU
package of air defence capability was signed, which will see more
than £70m of capabilities provided to Ukraine – including the
MSI-DS Terrahawk Paladin, a platform which can track and destroy
drones and protect critical national infrastructure.
The UK and Denmark launched the IFU in 2022 and the UK engages
closely with Ukraine to procure capability that best meets the
needs of its armed forces. Since then, five other nations have
contributed to the IFU, demonstrating the unity and resolve of
allies and partners in supporting Ukraine.
Defence Secretary said:
During my recent visit to Kyiv, I assured President Zelenskyy
that the UK’s support for Ukraine and their most urgent needs is
unwavering.
Today I am proud to announce that the UK, alongside our allies,
is delivering on that promise with new contracts to provide
Ukraine with critical air defence systems to protect civilians
from Putin’s barbaric bombing campaign, and more than £100
million of new equipment pledged to give Ukrainian soldiers what
they need to breach Russia’s deadly minefields.
Today, the Defence Secretary attends his first meeting of the
NATO-Ukraine Council, where ministers from member countries and
Ukraine will discuss the ongoing international response to
Putin’s illegal invasion.
It provides an opportunity for the Defence Secretary to raise the
UK’s concerns regarding the crisis in Israel and Gaza, the
developing situation regarding reported damage to undersea
infrastructure between Finland and Estonia, as well as the UK’s
recent deployment to Kosovo in support of NATO’s peacekeeping
mission.
The announcement comes after the Prime Minister met President
Zelenskyy at the European Political Community in Grenada last
week. The Ukrainian President has said that air defence is
Ukraine’s most critical capability need, and the Terrahawk
Paladin will help deliver what Ukraine needs to protect its
citizens from Putin’s indiscriminate campaign of missile strikes
against civilian targets.
This latest package will also provide crucial equipment to help
Ukrainian soldiers cross minefields, bridging capabilities to
assist with river and trench crossings, and heavy duty plant
vehicles to destroy Russian non-explosive obstacles and help
build defensive positions to protect Ukraine’s critical national
infrastructure.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, Chief of the Defence Staff,
said:
This new package of support is the latest in an unprecedented and
sustained effort by 50 nations to give Ukraine the tools it needs
to counter Russia’s aggression and recover what it has lost.
This winter, Russia will seek to undermine the morale of the
Ukrainian people and divide the international community, but in
both cases Putin underestimates the strength and resilience of
his opposition. If we stick together, and stay the course, then
Russia will continue to lose, Ukraine will prevail and the rules
that matter to global security will endure.
Ukraine is now the most mined country on earth, which has
provided the biggest obstacle in the path of Ukraine’s
counter-offensive this year and mine clearing capabilities will
be essential to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in pushing forward.
Equipment from both the air defence package and mobility support
package will arrive in the coming months, joining other
IFU-funded equipment already in Ukraine, including around 100
uncrewed aerial systems.
The IFU uses financial contributions from international partners
to procure priority military assistance for Ukraine. This will
ensure the continued supply of military support – lethal and
non-lethal – to Ukraine through 2023 and beyond.
To date, £785m has been raised through the IFU following
contributions from the UK, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden,
Iceland and Lithuania.
The IFU has recently expanded to include Lithuania on its
Executive Panel, which is now formed by the UK and six other
nations which provide oversight and assurance of the Fund,
including the endorsement of capability packages.
