- Military equipment orders worth more than £1 billion placed
by the UK on behalf of Ukraine, paid for using money raised from
immobilised Russian assets
- Comes as Defence Secretary chairs meeting of Coalition of the
Willing Defence Ministers to further advance military planning
of, and commitments to, a multinational force to deploy to
Ukraine following any peace deal
- Defence Secretary meets his counterpart during
visit to Kyiv to provide update on ramping up of UK military
support
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, , 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 200 electronic warfare systems
- 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, 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 th
