The United Kingdom announced Friday it will send an additional 650 short-range missiles to Ukraine as part of a new £162 million ($205 million) military aid package. The announcement came during a defense summit at Ramstein Air Base in Germany, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed for increased support from Western allies.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey said the package, which includes Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LLM), would provide “an important boost” to Ukraine’s air defenses. The new commitment brings the UK’s total military support to Ukraine to £7.6 billion ($9.6 billion) since Russia’s invasion began in February 2022.
Zelenskyy, addressing the summit, expressed gratitude for existing military aid but urged allies to authorize the use of Western-supplied long-range missiles on targets inside Russia. He argued this capability is necessary to end the war.
“We need to have this long-range capability not only on the occupied territory of Ukraine but also on the Russian territory,” Zelenskyy said.
The United States, Ukraine’s largest supporter, also announced $250 million in additional military aid at the summit.
Prof Michael Clark, former director-general of the Royal United Services Institute, told BBC Radio 4 that while significant, the UK’s missile supply would likely be “exhausted within a couple of months” given the intensity of Russian attacks.
The new aid follows a Russian missile strike on Poltava, central Ukraine, that killed at least 51 people earlier this week.
UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer previously committed to sending £3 billion annually to Ukraine “for as long as needed.” The UK’s total commitment to Ukraine since the war’s start now stands at £12.7 billion ($16 billion), including both military and non-military support.
