UK to send 650 missiles to Ukraine in latest defence aid package
The UK will send 650 missiles to Ukraine in the latest show of commitment to Kyiv's defence against Russia, Defence Secretary John Healey has announced.
Healey unveiled a £162 million support package during a visit to Germany, at a defence summit with fellow ministers from across Europe.
The meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group took place at the US Air Force base in Ramstein and marks Healey's first appearance as defence secretary.
Friday's announcement is an extension of Operation Interflex, which has already seen 45,000 Ukrainian troops trained on British soil.
Mr Healey said: “Operation Interflex has provided the brave men and women of Ukraine the vital skills they need to defend their nation in the face of Putin’s illegal invasion.
“The extension of this training, which is vital for Ukraine’s defence, is another example of the UK’s ironclad commitment to Ukraine.
“As I told our allies and partners today in Germany, the UK will continue to step up our support. We will stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
Mr Healey added: “In recent days we have seen the tragic cost of Russia’s indiscriminate strikes on Poltava and Lviv. These new UK-made missiles will support Ukraine to defend its people, infrastructure, and territory from Putin’s brutal attacks.”
It comes as at least seven people were killed and 35 left wounded in a Russian strike on the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on Wednesday.
A child and medical worker were among the dead, with others left in a critical condition, Mayor of Lviv Andrii Sadovyi said.
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On Tuesday, two ballistic missiles killed over 50 people and injured more than 200 others after striking a military training facility and hospital in Ukraine's eastern city of Poltava.
The 650 Lightweight Multirole Missile (LLM) systems will bolster Ukraine’s air defence capabilities as it continues to defend against the Russian invasion, and are expected to be delivered by the end of the year.
Hundreds of LLMs have been delivered by the UK to Ukraine in the past, and the latest order marks the first part of a move to step up European defence production to support Ukraine's war effort.
The package has been mainly funded through the UK’s latest £3 billion a year package for Ukraine, alongside contributions from Norway and others.
During the meeting, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pressed Western leaders to allow him to use long-range weapons against targets in Russia - a demand he has made repeatedly in recent months.
He said: “We need to make Russian cities and even Russian soldiers think about what they need: peace or Putin.”
British ministers are reported to be in favour of loosening restrictions on Ukraine’s use of long-range weapons, but American objections are thought to stand in the way.
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