The air defense unit of the National Guard of Ukraine on August 10, 2022. PHOTO: Ukrinform / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
The United Kingdom will help Ukraine better defend itself against Russian airstrikes that are destroying its energy infrastructure with a package of around 500 million pounds (575 million euros), British Defense Secretary John Healey announced on Thursday, according to AFP.
“Today I am announcing more than half a billion pounds of new aid for Ukraine's air defences,” Healey said as he arrived in Brussels shortly before a meeting of NATO defense ministers.
Britain's Ministry of Defense has indicated that around 150 million pounds (172 million euros) will be allocated to a NATO initiative, backed by US President Donald Trump, to purchase US weapons for Kiev.
London will also send Ukraine 1,000 UK-made small missiles worth £390m (€448m).
Healey co-chaired a new meeting of the Contact Group between Ukraine and its allies on Thursday, together with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius, during which he asked them to increase their aid, notes Agerpres.
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In 2025, this group has pledged about $45 billion in military aid to Ukraine. “In 2026, we have to do better, we have to do more,” the British minister said at the start of the meeting.
“The military aid promised today has a direct impact on the front line and the number of Ukrainian lives lost,” Healey added, alongside Ukraine's new Defense Minister Mihailo Fedorov.
Massive Russian airstrikes against Ukraine's power grid have caused heating and power outages across large areas of the country in the dead of winter.
“This is simply terrorism against the Ukrainian civilian population,” Pistorius said, denouncing the use of winter “as a weapon against innocent women, children and men.”
“The Russians cannot defeat us on the battlefield, and that is why they are now waging war against our critical infrastructure,” denounced Mihailo Fedorov.
