Great Britain announced the "largest ever" drone aid package for Ukraine, the country's Ministry of Defense said on Wednesday, writes UNN.
Details
"Great Britain has announced the largest ever drone package for Ukraine, which will provide at least 120,000 drones to Ukraine this year and stimulate growth and job creation across Great Britain," the statement said.
This comes as the country's Defense Minister, John Healey, travels to Berlin today to co-chair the 34th meeting of the 50-nation Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Berlin, alongside German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, Ukrainian Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.
"The new package, the largest of its kind ever supplied by Great Britain, will include thousands of long-range attack drones, reconnaissance and surveillance drones, logistics drones, and naval capabilities that have been battle-tested on the front lines of Ukraine. Deliveries of these new drones to Ukraine have already begun this month," the statement said.
As stated, "to stimulate British business, most of these investments will be spent by British companies, including Tekever, Windracers, and Malloy Aeronautics, which will create new jobs in Great Britain, while protecting Ukraine's security and sovereignty."
"The new drone package is backed by broader UK military support for Ukraine this year totaling £3 billion (approximately €3.44 billion), as well as funding within the ERA. The Defense Minister will also confirm that the UK will provide Ukraine with hundreds of thousands of artillery shells and thousands of air defense missiles this year," the British Ministry of Defense noted.
British Treasury Chancellor Rachel Reeves is also expected to announce further support for Ukraine later today at a meeting of finance ministers of member states in Washington, the ministry said.
Today's announcement builds on the recent £500 million (approximately €575 million) air defense package from the UK, announced in February at the Ukraine Defense Contact Group at NATO Headquarters in Brussels.
This package included £150 million (approximately €172.5 million) for the NATO PURL initiative, which allowed for the rapid delivery of air defense interceptors, as well as over 1,000 light multi-purpose missiles manufactured in Belfast, the British Ministry of Defense indicated.