Britain intensifying military support to Ukraine with new aid package: Official

Kyiv: Britain is intensifying its military support to Ukraine with a new aid package that includes naval drones, air defence systems and artillery, British Defence Secretary John Healey said.

Training for Ukrainian soldiers under Operation Interflex, a Britain-led multinational military operation, will continue in 2025 regardless of the developments in Ukraine’s peace process and a possible ceasefire, Healey said on Wednesday in an interview with the Ukrainian state Ukrinform news agency.

Three years since Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion of Ukraine “the depths of his miscalculation are clearer than ever, as the brave people of Ukraine continue to defy all expectations with their unbreakable spirit,” he said.

“But they cannot go it alone,” Healey added, vowing the UK’s support for Kyiv was “ironclad” and Britain would always stand “shoulder to shoulder to ensure Putin cannot win”.

In July, the new Labour government vowed to commit £3 billion a year in military aid to Ukraine until 2030-2031.

The new package will include £92 million for equipment to bolster Ukraine’s navy, including small boats, reconnaissance drones and uncrewed surface vessels, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

However, he said it is too early to publicly discuss the possibility of British support for deploying an international peacekeeping force in Ukraine, Xinhua news agency reported.

Healey arrived in Kyiv earlier on Wednesday, local media reported.

On the same day, Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov wrote on Facebook that he had spoken with Healey about strengthening Ukraine’s air defence, ensuring an uninterrupted supply of artillery ammunition, and exploring joint defence projects.

A key topic was the co-production of air defence systems, he said, adding that the discussions also covered the use of Storm Shadow missiles, and equipping and training new brigades of the Ukrainian army.

A further £68 million will be used for air defence equipment including radars, and 1,000 counter-drone electronic warfare systems at a cost of £39 million would be supplied to the Ukrainian army.

Healey said the UK would also boost a training programme for Ukrainian soldiers run with key allies on British soil known as Operation Interflex, under which 51,000 recruits have been trained since mid-2022.

“With Putin resorting to sending as many as 2,000 Russian soldiers to their deaths on the battlefield each day, it is critical that Ukraine is supported with a supply of properly trained and equipped soldiers,” the Ministry statement said.

Umerov thanked the UK for its support and said in a statement that the “stable delivery of ammunition, especially for artillery, is critically important for our Defence efforts”.

He added the two men had reviewed the results of the use of Storm Shadow missiles, without providing details.

London gave Kyiv the green light to launch the UK-supplied, long-range missiles into Russia for the first time in November.

IANS