The United Kingdom has delivered a substantial range of military equipment to Ukraine as part of its £7.8 billion military support programme, which includes both lethal and non-lethal aid.
This commitment forms part of a wider international response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) continuously assessing which items from its stockpiles could be donated without compromising UK military readiness.
A key element of this support, as highlighted in a report by the National Audit Office (NAO), is Taskforce Kindred, a special MoD unit established in March 2022.
According to the report, Taskforce Kindred has played a vital role in identifying equipment from UK stockpiles, making recommendations for ministerial approval, and providing guidance to the Ukrainian military on how to use the donated equipment effectively.
The taskforce initially started with a team of eight but expanded to 30 within the first weeks of the conflict, later reducing to 20 staff members as the team’s processes matured. The following table shows the public disclosures of the equipment supplied to Ukraine by the UK:
| Type of Equipment | Announced Between January 2022 and April 2024 | Announced April 2024 | Announced July 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Defence | 300 jamming and anti-jamming electronic systems, 6 Stormer vehicles fitted with Starstreak missile launchers | None | None |
| Anti-Personnel | 4,000 weapons/launchers (including small arms, mortars, and grenades), 6,000,000 rounds of ammunition, 4.5 tonnes of plastic explosive | Nearly 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition | 250,000 rounds of .50 calibre ammunition |
| Anti-Tank | Over 12,000 anti-tank weapons, including NLAWs, Javelin, and Brimstone | None | 90 Brimstone anti-armour missiles |
| Armoured and Other Vehicles | 300 armoured and protected vehicles | Over 400 vehicles, including 160 ‘Husky’ vehicles and 162 armoured vehicles | 40 de-mining vehicles, 61 bulldozers for defensive positions |
| Artillery | 80 artillery systems, including M109 155mm and L119 105mm guns, 400,000 rounds of ammunition | 50 AS-90 155mm guns | Support for AS-90s, including 32 new barrels and critical spares for 60,000 rounds |
| Drones | Over 4,000 uncrewed systems | Long-range attack drones (unspecified number) | None |
| Helicopters | 3 Sea Kings | None | None |
| Maritime | 78 amphibious vehicles, 60 military boats, maritime guns, and over 550 missiles and rockets for coastal defence | None | 50 small military boats for river and coastal operations |
| Missiles (long-range, strike, and air defence) | 1,500 surface-to-air missiles, Storm Shadow cruise missiles (unspecified number), advanced air-to-air missiles | Over 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, and additional Storm Shadow missiles | None |
| Other Equipment | 200 pallets of medical supplies, over 140 logistics vehicles, over 82,000 helmets, 8,450 sets of body armour, 100 electricity generators, 1,000 metal detectors, 25,000 sets of extreme cold weather clothing, 20,000 sleeping bags, and 150 insulated tents | None | None |
| Rocket Launchers | Multiple rocket launch systems (unspecified number) | None | None |
| Tanks | 14 Challenger 2 tanks, with over 4,000 rounds of ammunition | None | None |
In addition to these supplies, Taskforce Kindred played a crucial role in coordinating international cooperation, complementing equipment donations from the United States, France, and Germany. The MoD ensured that equipment sent from the UK did not overlap with that of other nations, particularly avoiding putting pressure on ammunition types like NATO-standard 155mm rounds, which were already in high demand.
According to the NAO report, the MoD also took strategic risks into account when determining which weapons to donate, factoring in concerns about escalation with Russia. For example, the UK chose to supply Storm Shadow long-range missiles in May 2023 following escalations in Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.
However, with these extensive donations, there have been challenges regarding UK military readiness. Since mid-2023, the UK has sharply reduced its donations of equipment because continuing at the previous rate would have posed “unacceptable risks” to the UK’s own military preparedness.
The MoD has since placed contracts worth nearly £1 billion to replenish its stockpiles, with total replacement costs estimated at £2.71 billion, which is reflective of both the age and the advancement of the new equipment being purchased.
To be fair much of this kit and ammunition needed to be replaced anyway otherwise it would just have cost us to scrap it. We need to build modern kit and in quantity. I don’t really care what the Government say – that is what the military is about having people, kit and ammunition to defend against anything a potential enemy might throw at you.