Defense Secretary John Healey is set to announce a £162 million commitment to supply 650 short-range missiles to support Ukraine’s war efforts against Russia during a summit in Germany with fellow ministers.
The meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group is scheduled to take place at the United States Air Force base in Ramstein on Friday. This follows a recent meeting between Healey and Rustem Umerov, his counterpart from Kyiv, in London.
Healey’s new role will see him reaffirm the UK government’s commitment of £3 billion annually to President Volodymyr Zelensky’s nation. The Thales weapons plant in Belfast will benefit from this pledge, with the first batch of Lightweight Multirole Missile (LLM) systems expected to be delivered by year-end.
The UK has already supplied hundreds of LLMs to Ukraine for air defense against Russia, and the latest order is anticipated to strengthen the supply chain moving forward. Healey stated, “This new commitment will provide vital support to Ukraine’s air defenses and showcases our government’s dedication to enhancing assistance to Ukraine.”
Healey further added, “In light of Russia’s recent indiscriminate attacks on Poltava and Lviv, these new UK-manufactured missiles will aid Ukraine in protecting its people, infrastructure, and territory from Putin’s brutal assaults.”
Traveling at Mach 1.5 with a range exceeding 6km, the LMM is renowned for its versatility against various threats. Its precision guidance and low collateral damage make it ideal for urban operations. Thales, as a strategic partner of the UK government, expressed pride in supporting Ukraine’s defense through the provision of the lightweight multirole missile.
Zelensky previously urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to grant Kyiv permission to strike Russian targets with UK-provided weapons, emphasizing the need for long-range capability. However, Downing Street clarified that the policy on using long-range Storm Shadow missiles had not changed.
The conflict between Russia and Ukraine originated in 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea and supported pro-Russian separatists in the Donbas War. The situation escalated in 2022 with Putin’s invasion of Ukraine after the failure of the Minsk accords to bring peace to the region.
PA Media contributed to this report.
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