Britain announced on Tuesday that it would provide £100 million ($135 million) to strengthen Ukraine’s air defence this winter, including through the supply of Patriot missiles.
The UK will also supply “air defence interceptors, large-calibre artillery rounds and drones” as part of the contribution to a NATO programme supporting Kyiv, the defence ministry said in a statement.
The equipment “will be delivered before the winter, helping Ukraine defend its critical national infrastructure, innocent civilians and armed forces from Russian attacks,” the ministry added.
Ukraine relies on advanced systems – chiefly, US Patriot interceptors – to protect its skies from Russian ballistic missile strikes.
But it has reported a shortage of Patriot interceptors since the United States and Israel went to war with Iran in February, diverting supplies.
Britain has been one of Ukraine’s biggest backers in its effort to repel Russia following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of its neighbour in February 2022.
UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Ukraine last month on his first foreign trip since entering office in late July.
Britain recently agreed to release to Ukraine information on components for the long-range missile, SCALP, the French-produced version of the UK’s Storm Shadow, so Ukraine could set up local assembly lines.
New UK defence minister Wes Streeting will co-chair his first meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group, which comprises 50 nations providing military kit to Ukraine, on Tuesday.
“Both the Prime Minister and I heard loud and clear on our first visits to Kyiv the importance of supporting Ukraine through this winter, as Putin prepares to use winter as a weapon by continuing barbaric attacks against civilian and energy targets,” Streeting said.
