Britain is increasing its assistance to Ukraine by offering a comprehensive package of £325 million. This will be used to supply cutting-edge drones to help combat Putin’s invasion.
The funding will facilitate the delivery of more than 10,000 drones to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, utilising the UK’s leading defence industries to provide advanced drone capabilities to Ukraine by 2024.
The announcement was made by the Defence Secretary during his third visit to Ukraine. He was accompanied by the Chief of the Defence Staff. They met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Defence Minister Rustem Umerov to reaffirm their support for Ukraine.
Building upon the Prime Minister’s earlier £200 million drone package, the increased commitment of £325 million will supply over 10,000 unmanned platforms. These include first-person view (FPV) drones, one-way attack drones, surveillance drones, and maritime drones developed in the UK.
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps stated his dedication to equipping Ukraine with drones from the UK. He emphasised the importance of international partners joining in the effort.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine have effectively utilised UK-donated weapons, significantly impacting Russia’s Black Sea Fleet. During his visit, the Defence Secretary reassured President Zelenskyy of the UK’s steadfast support for Ukraine.
Ukrainian forces have demonstrated the effectiveness of various drones in combat, successfully targeting Russian equipment and vehicles using cost-efficient systems.
FPV drones have been particularly useful in bypassing Russian air defences to strike targets accurately. The UK and Latvia will co-lead an international coalition to enhance Ukraine’s drone capabilities following a meeting of the US-led Ukraine Defence Contact Group.
Statement
Defence Secretary, Grant Shapps said:
“I am ramping up our commitment to arm Ukraine with cutting-edge new drones coming directly from the UK’s world-leading defence industries – straight from the factory floor to the frontline. I encourage international partners to join the UK in this effort.
“Ukraine’s Armed Forces are using UK donated weapons to unprecedented effect, to help lay waste to nearly 30 per cent of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet.
“On my third visit to this great country, I was pleased to be able to offer my firm reassurance to President Zelenskyy on the UK’s unwavering commitment to the brave people and military forces of Ukraine.”
The Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary, and Defence Secretary all stress the importance of international backing for Ukraine.
Featured Image Credit: Pexels
I am a third-year Politics and Journalism Studies student at the University of Stirling (2022-) and a writer and sub-editor for the Brig for over a year (Nov. 2023-), focusing mainly on political topics.
