Ukraine to receive new military aid package of 580 million dollars from UK and Norway
John Healey, UK Defence Secretary (Photo: Getty Images)
The UK and Norway will help finance the delivery of hundreds of thousands of drones to Ukraine as part of a new military support package worth $580 million (£450 million), according to the UK Ministry of Defence and Bloomberg.
The UK and Norway are expected to announce this joint package on Friday from existing funding sources at a meeting of Ukraine's partners, which will be chaired by the UK and Germany in Brussels.
The UK Ministry of Defence notes that this will help fund the rapid delivery of first-person view (FPV) drones to Ukraine.
The funding will also support the repair and maintenance of Ukrainian military vehicles and equipment, as well as radar systems and anti-tank mines.
The types of drones to be supplied to the frontline in Ukraine will be procured from British and Ukrainian suppliers. The package will also help finance the repair and maintenance of vehicles and equipment.
The funding comes during the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels, chaired by UK Defense Secretary John Healey alongside his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius.
According to the UK Defense Secretary, the work of the Contact Group (known as the Ramstein format meetings) is vital to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position and increase pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to help force him to end this horrific war.
Aid from the UK to Ukraine
The UK Ministry of Defense emphasized that the country is fully committed to working with allies to strengthen support so that Ukraine is in the strongest position to secure peace and is ramping up its support by providing £4.5 billion (approximately $5.8 billion) in military aid this year — more than ever before.
The British Ministry of Defense highlights that such support is vital for European security.
Last month, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a historic deal worth £1.6 billion to provide Ukraine with over 5,000 air defense missiles.
The UK has sent nearly 400 different items and resources to Ukraine as part of its military support packages:
- On February 12, a package worth £150 million was announced, which included drones, tanks, and air defense systems.
- On December 19, 2024, London revealed a £225 million support package, which included UAVs, boats, and ammunition.
- On September 6 of the previous year, the UK announced the provision of 650 light multi-purpose missiles as part of its defense aid.
Additionally, on February 24, it was reported that the UK would provide its largest military aid package to Ukraine, valued at £4.5 billion ($5.69 billion).
RBC-Ukraine also reported that at the beginning of this year, Ukraine and the UK signed a historic 100-year partnership agreement. The agreement was signed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
