UK-led fund to equip Ukraine tops £2 billion as Russia intensifies attacks

A UK-led international fund to provide Ukraine with military equipment has topped £2 billion, the Defence Secretary said.

John Healey said allies must “speed up and surge our support” for the wartorn nation as Russia has “stepped up” its attacks.

Moscow has intensified air raids on Ukrainian cities, despite US President Donald Trump’s invitation to his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to join peace talks.

Mr Healey, hosting the 30th meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG), said: “We have stepped up our military aid to Ukraine, but Putin has stepped up as well.

“We must speed up and surge our support to Ukraine.

“We must get more kit in the hands of Ukrainian fighters even faster. And across members of the UDGC, our defiance, our determination must match that of the Ukrainians.”

He said that since the last UDCG meeting in July, the UK has delivered nearly five million rounds of ammunition, 60,000 artillery shells, rockets and missiles and 200 electronic warfare and defence systems.

Britain will also fund the delivery of thousands of long-range one-way attack drones, built in the UK, over the coming year.

The Cabinet minister continued: “The UK has now used over a billion pounds of seized Russian assets to buy vital kit directly for Ukraine.

“And for the first time, the international fund for Ukraine has now reached over £2 billion of contributions.”

Mr Healey also said the funding from 11 countries is “symbolic of unity”.

Equipment delivered through the initiative includes more than 1,000 air defence systems, 600 uncrewed aerial systems, electronic warfare systems and air defence radars – with further deliveries expected in the coming weeks.

Mr Healey was joined by Nato secretary general Mark Rutte and the Ukrainian and German defence ministers, Denys Shmyhal and Boris Pistorius.

The 50-nation strong UDCG, which brings together defence ministers and officials from Ukraine’s allies, was chaired by the US until Mr Trump came to power and began rowing back on American support for Kyiv and European security.

Mr Trump has threatened stronger sanctions against Russia after it carried out its biggest wave of air strikes on Ukraine since the war began over the weekend.

On Wednesday, the Defence Secretary will host his counterparts from France, Germany, Italy and Poland – the so-called “E5” nations that spend the most on defence of European Nato members.

The meeting in London will also include Mr Shmyhal, with discussions centring on the situation in Ukraine, wider European security developments and investment in the defence industry.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence said British instructors have provided an eight-day training programme for Ukrainian personnel on mobile air defence systems.

The UK gave Ukraine Stormer vehicles fitted with Starstreak anti-air missile launchers in 2022.

The recent training equipped Ukrainian soldiers with the skills to operate the Stormer platform armed with either high velocity or lightweight modular missiles, according to the MoD.