Urgent work to accelerate the delivery of the UK's military
support for Ukraine will be discussed between the Defence
Secretary and his counterpart, Rustem Umerov, during a visit to
London today.
The visit comes during a milestone moment in international
support for Ukraine, with eight countries from across the world
having now joined the UK to provide more than £1 billion to the
International Fund for Ukraine (IFU), in a significant show of
unity from Ukraine's allies.
It comes after the Prime Minister announced the IFU's largest
ever support package at the NATO Summit in July, with a £300m
contract to supply 152mm artillery shells to supply Ukraine's
Soviet-era guns. He also confirmed £3bn of UK aid for
Ukraine per year for as long as it takes.
The Defence Secretary confirmed today the £300m contract has now
been signed and is expected to deliver thousands of shells before
the end of the year – providing a significant boost for Ukraine's
stockpiles and aligning with the Government's acceleration of
military support deliveries.
Denmark, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Norway all confirmed
their intent this summer to invest additional money in the Fund
to purchase more drones to help on the frontline, as well as
vital air defence capabilities to help shield Ukraine's people
and key infrastructure from relentless Russian bombardment.
Defence Secretary, , said:
UK military equipment continues to prove invaluable for Ukraine's
war effort. The ongoing defensive operation in Kursk underlines
the crucial importance of continued support. And today's
milestone for the International Fund for Ukraine shows the value
of working with our Allies to deliver that support.
Our government is stepping up Britain's support for Ukraine to
fight Putin's illegal invasion. We are speeding up deliveries of
aid, with a much-needed ammunition package announced by the Prime
Minister at NATO set to begin deliveries within months. We will
continue to step up our support to help Ukraine achieve victory.
In his first days as Defence Secretary, met President Zelenskyy and
Minister Umerov in Ukraine, where he pledged to accelerate the
delivery of the UK's military support for Ukraine.
The artillery ammunition contract, placed by Defence Equipment
& Support – the MOD's procurement arm – will deliver 120,000
newly-manufactured shells over the next 18 months, and will
stimulate industrial capacity in Europe and safeguard reliable
supply chains that will continue to provide Ukraine with vital
ammunition.
It follows previous packages of support from the IFU, which have
delivered heavy-lift and reconnaissance drones, maritime drones,
minefield-clearing capabilities, combat vehicle spares and air
defence systems.
The IFU was first launched by Denmark and the UK in 2022 to
provide a more efficient way for countries to pool resources to
buy equipment and weapons to support Ukraine's most urgent
capability needs. The UK has donated £500m to the Fund to date.
With artillery having proved critical to Ukraine's previous
battlefield successes, this new investment will support them in
further degrading Russia's forces and preventing them from making
significant breakthroughs.
Other contributors to the IFU include Australia, Iceland, New
Zealand, and Sweden. Further deliveries from the IFU's other
contracts will continue through the coming months.
