LONDON (dpa-AFX) - The UK has committed to provide 600 million pounds worth of air-defense capabilities, including cutting edge turrets that can shoot down Russian drones to support Ukraine through the winter.
The air defense package for Ukraine comes as Russia's aerial strikes plunges homes, hospitals, and power stations into darkness.
The announcement came as UK Defense Secretary John Healey and his German counterpart, Boris Pistorius co-chaired the 32nd meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. In a virtual meeting of 50 nations, attended by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Ukraine's supporters discussed the country's key military needs for 2026, shared battlefield insights, planned equipment deliveries and the gaps that need to be addressed.
The UK is backing Ukraine for the long term, with more than twenty remotely guided counter-drone turrets, acquired from Estonia, set for delivery in 2026. These new systems, designed specifically to defeat Russia's Shahed-style attack drones at lower cost, form a crucial part of Ukraine's future defensive capabilities.
Building on that momentum, five RAVEN air-defense systems - announced this summer - will now be handed over to Ukraine, giving frontline units a rapid-reaction shield against low-flying threats. The first GRAVEHAWK air-defense systems, now being delivered, will reinforce Ukraine's ability to protect key infrastructure from Russia's deep-strike barrages.
Defense Secretary John Healey said that the final tranche of 650 Lightweight Multirole Missiles that UK delivered ahead of schedule last autumn is now playing a critical role in stopping Russia's one-way attack drones and cruise-missile strikes.
In addition, the UK with funding from international partners, has delivered more than 1,000 air defense missiles and over 250,000 rounds of air-defense ammunition in 2025.
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