Minister for the Armed Forces statement on Ukraine 19 December 2024

The Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard, provided an update to members of the House of Commons on the UK's support for Ukraine.

"It is day 1,030 of Putin's illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and I would like to update the House on the current situation in Ukraine.

Ukrainians are approaching their third Christmas since Putin launched his illegal, full-scale assault. Russian forces are over 1,000 days into a war Putin thought would be over in less than a week.

The Ukrainian people have paid an horrendous price for Putin's aggression, and it is testament to their grit, determination and courage, that they have mounted such an heroic defence of their country.

The UK has stood with Ukraine since day one.

And Madame Deputy Speaker, I can confirm to the House that yesterday the Defence Secretary travelled to Kyiv to meet with his Ukrainian counterpart, Defence Minister Umerov to discuss a joint plan for 2025, and underline the UK's commitment to support Ukraine for as long as it takes. 

It might be useful for the House if I provide an operational update. According to our latest Defence Intelligence insights, the frontline remains unstable.

Russian forces continue to conduct attacks and advances at several locations along the front in eastern Ukraine and have made accelerating gains in recent months in central Donetsk Oblast.

The conflict is currently classed as attritional, and it is brutal.

Madame Deputy Speaker, it is appropriate for me to confirm to the House that North Korean troops are currently engaged in offensive combat operations in Russia's Kursk Oblast, where around 11,000 have been deployed.

Our assessment is that it is highly likely that they have sustained significant combat casualties, whilst only achieving limited tactical gains. 

Our assessments further indicate there have been over 750,000 Russian casualties since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, with the grim milestone of one million Russians dead and wounded likely to be reached within approximately six months.

Madame Deputy Speaker, this Government is clear that the frontline of British and European security runs through Ukraine.

Our support for the Ukrainian people is ironclad.

Since Russia's full-scale invasion, under successive Governments, one of the strengths of the UK approach has been the significant cross-party support from all parties in this House. That characterised our period in opposition and has continued since we have been in government, and I am grateful to the party opposite, and indeed all parties in this House, for their continuing support for Ukraine.

Madame Deputy Speaker, in total, the UK has now provided £12.8 billion pounds of assistance to Ukraine, and we remain a leading donor of military equipment.

The Prime Minister has committed, in person, to President Zelenskyy, that the UK will give £3 billion of military aid for each year as long as Ukraine needs.

2025 will be a critical year for the war.

President Zelenskyy has laid out his Victory Plan. Built around timely and effective military support, security guarantees, long-term deterrence, and rebuilding Ukraine by unleashing the country's economic potential.

And he has spoken of his desire to secure a just peace from a position of strength.

So today, I would like to outline to the House how we will step-up the UK's international leadership on Ukraine into 2025, including a new £225 million package of military support which, while in Kyiv, the Defence Secretary pledged and confirmed in his meeting with Defence Minister Umerov, and our five priority areas for UK defence support in 2025.

First, we will further increase and strengthen Ukraine's military capabilities.

Our new £225 million package of military support includes £186 million of key military equipment, through the UK-administered International Fund for Ukraine.

£92 million to bolster the Ukrainian navy's fighting power, including Advanced reconnaissance drones, the latest generation of uncrewed surface vessels, loitering munitions, and mine countermeasure drones.

The package also includes £68 million for air defence equipment, including new radars, decoy land equipment, and cutting-edge counter-drone electronic warfare systems, as well as a £26m package to provide support and spare parts for previously delivered critical military systems to keep them in the fight.

Our stepped up military support package includes £39 million to deliver 1,000 counter-drone electronic warfare systems, together with respirators and equipment, to protect Ukrainian frontline forces.

We are also gifting explosive charges to equip more than 90,000 155mm artillery rounds, compatible with the dozens of the British Army's AS-90 self-propelled artillery guns, previously provided by the United Kingdom.

Madame Deputy Speaker, Ukraine's frontline is also the frontline of our security.

I know the whole House will recognise this latest military support package is firmly in the UK's national security interests, and that it will strengthen the resilience of our own defence industrial base too.

Yesterday this House passed, with total cross-party support, the Financial Assistance to Ukraine Bill.  

This allows the Government to fulfil our commitment to provide Ukraine with an additional £2.26 billion pounds, through our contribution to the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration loan scheme which will be repaid using the profits from the immobilised Russian sovereign assets, enabling Ukraine to buy military equipment to defend itself and its freedom against Russian aggression.

Taken together, this amounts to the highest amount of UK military support since the war began.

Second. We will continue training Ukraine's Armed Forces throughout 2025, adding to the 51,000 Ukrainian troops already trained here in the United Kingdom as part of Operation Interflex, the multinational training programme we deliver alongside 12 partner nations.

Having met Royal Air Force trained Ukrainian pilots at Operation Interstorm, and Ukrainian Soldiers trained by the British Army and our partners in trenches dug in the English countryside , I know first-hand the difference our training makes. Each person we train, each Ukrainian we train, is a message to Putin that Ukraine does not stand alone.

Madame Deputy Speaker, we will continue to provide the training that Ukraine needs and be flexible to meet their requirements.

Third, we will build the Defence sector in Ukraine, the UK, and across Europe, to leave Putin in no doubt that Ukraine is not alone in this fight and there's an ability to sustain Ukraine in the fight.

In the Autumn, I accompanied UK Defence companies on a trade mission to Kyiv to discuss opportunities for long-term cooperation that can reinforce Ukraine's defence industry as a powerful deterrent against Russia, and a powerful asset for Euro-Atlantic security.

This government is also delivering on the Defence Industrial Support Treaty, signed with Ukraine in July, and has made £3.5 billion of export finance available to buy military capabilities.

And we will look to finalise a series of mutually agreed projects that will simultaneously bolster Ukraine's defences and the UK's Defence industrial resilience in due course.

Fourth, we will continue to work with allies to step-up international support.

Let me again be clear to the House that this Government will work with Ukraine to make progress down its irreversible path towards NATO membership.

And working with the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, as well as allies further afield, to increase the tempo of support and impose further costs on Russia.

Madame Deputy Speaker, I can confirm there will be a notable gear-shift in January, when we commence delivery of tens of thousands of drones through the Maritime and Drone Capability Coalitions that the UK is leading with our Norwegian and Latvian partners.

Fifth, we will reinforce the cross-Government effort to increase pressure on Russia, including close working between the Ministry of Defence, and the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office, to increase diplomatic pressure and sanctions.

The MOD is working hand-in-glove with the FCDO through our recently formed Joint Unit on Ukraine to maximise the impact of UK defence support by starving the Kremlin of the resources it needs to sustain its war effort.

We will continue to coordinate these sanctions with like-minded allies around the world to deny Russia's war machine of the goods, technologies and revenues it needs to sustain it's illegal war.

And we will continue to expose Russia's malicious cyber-attacks and disinformation efforts, and the hostile operations of its Intelligence Services.

Madame Deputy Speaker, as we prepare to return to our constituencies and loved ones over Christmas, I know the thoughts of the whole House will be with all those Ukrainians unable to do so.

Many are facing a Christmas and New Year of ongoing assault and aerial bombardment, of their frontline, their homes, their towns, their cities and their critical energy infrastructure.

2025 is set to be a critical year of the conflict and our resolve will not falter.

President Zelenskyy has spoken of his desire for a ‘just peace', and the Government is in no doubt that a just and lasting peace is only achievable by strengthening Ukraine's hand.

That is why this week the Defence Secretary, in Kyiv, and as the Minister at this Despatch box, we have set out how we will increase Ukraine's military capabilities, how we are  committed to training thousands more Ukrainian troops, how we will strengthen defence industrial cooperation, how we will harness the support of Ukraine's allies, and how we will increase pressure on Russia.

This is the surest route to a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and I commend this statement to the House."