Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will announce the largest-ever military aid package to Ukraine from the UK on his visit to Poland today.
He is expected to announce a £500m boost for Ukraine and largest-ever provision of vital munitions, including some 400 vehicles, 1,600 munitions and 4 million rounds of ammunition
He will meet Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to discuss deepening UK-Poland relations, and the leaders will hold talks with NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg in Warsaw on European security and support to Ukraine. The Prime Minister will then travel on to Germany to meet Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin.
The £500 million additional funding announced today – which takes us to £3 billion in UK military aid for Ukraine this financial year – will be used to rapidly deliver urgently-needed ammunition, air defence, drones and engineering support. The drones will be procured in the UK and the funds will support a scale-up in domestic defence supply chains.
The Ministry of Defence will also send our largest-ever single package of equipment from the UK, designed to help push back the Russian invasion on land, sea and air.
It includes, according to a press release, the following:
- 60 boats including offshore raiding craft, rigid raiding craft and dive boats as well as maritime guns
- More than 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, as well as additional Storm Shadow long-range precision-guided missiles.
- More than 400 vehicles, including 160 protected mobility ‘Husky’ vehicles, 162 armoured vehicles and 78 all-terrain vehicles.
- Nearly 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition.
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:
“Defending Ukraine against Russia’s brutal ambitions is vital for our security and for all of Europe. If Putin is allowed to succeed in this war of aggression, he will not stop at the Polish border. I am in Warsaw today to deepen ties with our Polish partners and commit critical new military support for Ukraine’s defence. Ukraine’s armed forces continue to fight bravely, but they need our support – and they need it now. Today’s package will help ensure Ukraine has what they need to take the fight to Russia. The United Kingdom will always play its part at the forefront of European security, defending our national interest and standing by our Nato allies.”
Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said:
“This record package of military aid will give President Zelenskyy and his brave nation more of the kit they need to kick Putin out and restore peace and stability in Europe. The UK was the first to provide NLAW missiles, the first to give modern tanks and the first to send long-range missiles. Now, we are going even further. We will never let the world forget the existential battle Ukraine is fighting, and with our enduring support, they will win.”
Hopefully there will be an announcement regarding funding to replace the equipment and munitions being taken from stocks. If the Defence budget has to replace these items (or not) then is a cut in the defence budget or capability.
This is good news..could be more but it’s good…my problem is yes we are getting rid of some older kit, but in regards to munitions and missiles..what are our product lines like…in reality this 3 billion needs to then be given to the MOD so it can ensure it refills it’s war stocks..my worry is the government is giving this stuff away for a good reason, but also for headlines like 3billion in aid..but instead of actually spending the money to replace they are instead essentially mortgaging the future by not proving the budget for replacements ( in this case… Read more »
It’s hard to actually find out what comes from where and what’s being replaced. Expire dates obviously should play a big Part in what can be sent. No point keeping stuff that’s useless.
Still seeing loads of kit for sale on MOD surplus sites. Civilians are sending 4x4s while the MOD sells them buy the bucket load
They can then add this into the defence budget and say no cuts here. Sneaky tories.
The U.K. could be making more kit for Ukraine and this in Turn makes it cheaper for the forces.
Good News anyway. Ukraine really needed stuff months ago as they have said for ages they don’t have enough stuff.
You sound like a Republican.😀 I prefer to think that using a relative small part of our budget to wipe out an aggressors capabilites is money well spent. But you also pointed out in one of your other post actually some of this may be expiring so is sunk cost and would need to be disposed of at a cost to the MoD. I would hope each Storm Shadow is given with a minimum value target in mind, for instance using 1 or 2 to hit a S400 or Sub in dry dock or Landing Ship is a good return… Read more »
The UK and the rest of the free world needs to start the mobilization of domestic industries to produce munitions for war as we are now back in WWII-style industrialized warfare. Failure to do that from this point onwards will be judged badly by history, as the Ukraine war and follow on threats from other bad actors, are only going to get worse. By spending money within the UK and at the same time helping others and deterring such bad actors, surely is the way to go. I see little evidence that uncle Rishi – let alone two-faced Kier, understands… Read more »
To be fair, the conditions that allow for frozen front-lines and an old-school war of attrition are to some extent down to the fact that Ukraine has limited air power, Russia’s ability to provide air support and ISTAR turned out to be surprisingly poor, and the Russians are afraid to put their aircraft at risk anyway because they no longer have the industrial capability to replace them. Back in the Cold War there was an expectation that – if it went ‘hot’- people and equipment would be obliterated at such a pace that there was no hope of replacing them… Read more »
Yep., but we are where we are, and the UK needs to wake up and smell the coffee.
…and uncle Rishi has just announced that UK defence spending will rise to 2.5% by wait for it….2030!!!!!!!!
Methinks they really, really, really don’t get it.
An interesting piece I read yesterday was the comments from US authorities either the Coast Guard itself or those representing it that the US would have no chance defending its arctic seas against Russia as it has only one heavy icebreaker which is from 1979 and a medium one from the 90s with no funds allocated for planned new ones whereas the Russians have around 30+ active ones. What a pathetic and naive state of affairs by the ‘biggest economy in the World’. With Russia flexing its rhetoric over Alaska and even parts of California the MAGA nutters who like… Read more »
I worry about gorgeous Canada and the North Artic. They used to be really switched on to the Russian threat. I’m not so sure these days….
Russia will win because by the time we have got our industrial complex going properly, the Ukrainians will have been overrun. It may take years to produce enough artillery shells. We just don’t have the capacity.
So many of us screaming at the stupidity of “peace dividend” (which didn’t stop us going into debt, and didn’t stop welfare spending soaring). What good did it do? Nothing.
What armoured vehicles are they sending? Are they Bulldogs?
Huskies & Scimitars etc I think?
I honestly think it is time for NATO to admit Ukraine. Please now throw rocks at me ^.^
If we win the war, then I’m all for it.
Once there is peace yes, i agree.
Can’t do that whilst a war is on – it’s a fundamental NATO rule.
Then you cross a major red line for Russia,one of the reasons for this War happening in the first place.
Well if you believe Putin, in reality it was a minor consideration that however went down well in Russia and even many in the West as you demonstrate. The realities of the plan have far greater implications that taking out Ukraine was but merely a flanking move to strengthen his position and ensure meekness and complicity in other frightened Countries. Ukraine joins the EU was probably the bigger concern as it was far more likely and threatens the Oligarch and Mafia influence in Easter and Central Europe generally that makes those Countries effective colonies. It’s why he wanted NATO forces… Read more »
You think there would be protests in streets every weekend…….
Fine, get ride of everything not nailed down, I get that is all out of service kit. How ever not to fund replacement ammo, What kind of moron is backing that idea? Chief of the Defence staff, the other top brass? Have they lost there tongues or just too weak to speak out?
👍 🇬🇧
Are you sure it is out of service kit? We gifted 14 tanks that were on the active list.
Was a guess as not even the Top Brass are that deluded to give away in service git in those numbers? but then again ? yes they are.
Army Top Brass gave away to Ukraine what politicians ordered them to give away.
ordered them? can they not say no then ever? or say not a good idea or give advise. Or most likely like our top brass just be yes men and hope for a lordship
In our country the armed forces are under political control. Ministers of the Crown (PM, SofS for Def, MinAF, Min Def Procurement) give the top-level orders to ‘the military’ to initiate a course of action. Senior military officers can give (indeed should be asked for) advice to Ministers (hopefully before the political decision has been made!). If a senior officer says ‘No’ to an order from a Minister of the Crown, then we have insubordination and maybe the beginnings of a mutiny – and that officer will very quickly be picking up his P45! This really is not about ‘Yes… Read more »
At the end of the day the buck stops with them, i get what you are saying but to clear them of any blame is unjust. Yes minister who have no clue like to get their way and have their voice heard. But we all know some blame though not most of it rests at the top for the shambles the military is.
Martin, I am not saying, for example, that service chiefs are meek and mild or are unpersuasive with the Minister or indeed that they too don’t make errors, or that they don’t make any decisions. Many here criticise General Nick Carter for his ill-considered changes to the army’s Orbat and his obsession with premature delivery of the Boxer programme, which screwed up the Warrior upgrade delivery. A former CAS was tasked by SofS to improve throughput of pilots on training and spectacularly failed. I am sure that it was a senior RN/RM officer who was responsible for 3 Cdo Bde… Read more »
i get what you are saying, i like those that messed up to come clean but we both know that is not the way things are done.
Todays incress in defence will help i just worry as many do. Its a massive mess to fix but not beyond fixing. Heart breaking to see what i served in so run down, with those that knew better keeping quite.
We had a good deterrent in the Falklands up to the 1982 Conflict in addition to the RM Det – the Navy’s ice patrol ship in the locality and a fleet with the latest aircraft carrier. Then our government announcing the scrapping of HMS Endurance and the sale of the carrier to Australia – the Argentinians invaded. We had a strong deterrent force forward-based in Germany – once a Corps of 4 armoured divisions and 5 RAF stations. Today thats all gone. The army shrunk to less than half the size when I started. IFVs being replaced by mere APCs.… Read more »
As a US president once said, , “Talk softly, but carry a big stick” we do the weak talking but carry a twig at the moment. Money spent deterring saves lives, may be reduces the chance of war.
Defence on the cheap or bluffing does not work, it cost lives and cost more to fix than it would if we had the tools to do what civi’s asked of us and what they will ask of those that follow.
But that was more political to show we weren’t cowards scared of Russian threats and in the end forced others to donate far more tanks. I know we need more tanks but ulitmately it was a good move by us to get other into action.
Anybody know what Trucks were sending ? are they old Bedfords from 80s or the newest Man trucks of today’s Transport ?
There are no Bedfords in service. If they are Man trucks, they are probably HX60 models which are popping up on the surplus sites
Cheers 🍺
Well Rishi and Stoltenberg were shown clamouring over Supercats so even though they are in Poland with uk troops I suspect a lot of those vehicles will be going esp as all terrain was mentioned and new ones are being obtained.
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Bedfords from the 80s would have been auctioned off 20-30 years ago!
Defence Select Cmtte had Scrapps up on this last month.
That £3Bn is coming off the MoD budget! This Govt are a disgrace.
I support aid for Ukraine, heavens, give them £6Bn including Apache Longbows, but, not by a sleight of hand.
I think on another article that CR commented it was not coming out of the defence budget- based upon a report from parliament. May be a rare case of a defence secretary making a mistake and it being good news?!
It was coming out of Defence.
Francois held Scrapps feet to fire over ‘incrementals’ and made the point that when monies were deducted for Ukraine, Britain was not spending 2% on Defence
It is totally wrong that foreign military aid should come out of MoD budget. It should come out of the FO’s International Aid budget or HMT’s National Contingency Fund.
The worst thing is that this bunch of shysters have shown Labour how to cook the books, and Labour will.
I don’t think any politicain needs any guidance on dodgy fininace, I think if there was a politicans for dummies book then there could be a few chapters on that, along with avoiding how to answer questions and cancelling you’re opponent.
C’mon, aid to Ukraine is classed as increased spend on Defence and increase in budget…
Although, I to agree with you in general.
There’s a lot that could be done re budgets, but yes foreign aid should be foreign aid budget. If the MoD is dumping stuff that will go expired then that would be replace anyway, and infact in some cases it would cost to dispose of it so its saves a few pennies to give it away, so logically that should come out of defence budget as it be replace anyway. I think defence budget should also be supported by trade and industry budget. An example is Dragonfire, if we think its got export legs then some of the RnD should… Read more »
Since this clearly constitutes international aid, is it coming out of the International Aid budget?
No. See above.
The reality which few want to admit is that this is not about defeating Russia. Russia cannot be defeated by conventional means as long as the current regime survives and as long as it has nuclear weapons.
What all this aid is actually about is trying to ensure that Ukraine does not end up being defeated. That is what will be determined this year and next.
This should be old for new, dispose of equipment and buy new UK built replacements.
Really what is the point? Delaying the inevitable. A face off with Putin and Nato. Ukrainian “defences” largely criticised as inadequate by many sources. They cannot fight in a western style. They are stuck in Soviet doctrinal practice. Corruption is rife. And us? We whittle away war reserves, ammunition stocks and allow politicians to strip the already bare cupboard. Facts seem to be ignored, Russia is reportedly producing ninety modern ( ish ) tanks a month. Is producing more than enough aircraft to replace losses. And the worst nightmare for Zelensky? Russia has mass, particularly manpower. Watch this Summer.
How is Milton Keynes today?
Well many of the planes they have lost cannot be replaced the AWACS for a start and the capacity to replace fighter losses is marginal at best and pilots somewhat scarce. Tanks well, they are increasingly using older types again they are struggling to replace the substantial loses of T-80s, many of the production numbers actually include hasty updates of older models from storage. Even for Russia this war eventually becomes unsustainable, indeed it’s only because they know NATO is not the actual threat that they claimed to the World it was originally and the large amounts of munitions from… Read more »
It’s interesting a lot of comment is on “this had better be replenished”, and I fully agree. I’m wondering, though, how it’s being managed; The majority of American aid by value is actually money going to the military to replace what is in stock, as that stock goes out of the door to Ukraine. That’s what the assessed value is. Is ours not the same, at least for munitions etc? I realise that HMT probably hasn’t “refunded” the Army the value of the 14 CH2 that they sent to Ukraine (I imagine). In accounting terms, you are committing new cash… Read more »
I heard that the 14 CR2s for UKR came from one of our armoured regiments and that unit were backfilled. But backfilled from where? From the Repair Pool or the Attrition Reserve? Bottom line is that we now have 213 tanks on the active list rather than 227. So those 14 tanks are off the MoD’s books and have been written off in an accounting sense. Not sure any money is changing hands.
Yes, the tanks I acknowledged will be write offs from stock. But the ammunition too, leaving the cupboards bare? Honestly, I can’t believe that even HMT’s bean counters would do that- not for any great length of time at least.
I saw an interesting YT clip this week. A Ukrainian tank crew were saying lack of CH2 British shells, but generally loving the CH2.
The ammunition will certainly prove problematic, as no-one else will have any. May be the reason why we only sent over 14?
HMT’s bean counters only exist to save money in the short term and they consider that buying the minimum stock that can be got away with and reducing the storage cost to the minimum is their main goal. They just do not think long-term.
We’ve the smallest regular or reserve army numbers, tanks, the fewest warship escorts & RAF fighters in a century & there’s a huge black hole of underfunding for what we have already planned to build or buy; yet Sunak speaks as though the Tories have been growing our armed forces responsibly, rather than cutting recklessly
And how I wish Labour had got in the last election as JC would have so sorted Defence. 😀 You forget the last election was choice of the least worst option, Labour devote now spout how bad the Tories are on defence but Labour set them a really low bar. Both parties are just terrible tbh. Its like going to a market where there’s 2 fruit stalls both selling rotten fruit, but we gotta eat so we choose one and bare it. Trouble is some seem to like the taste of rotten fruit 😀 and even try to sell it… Read more »
Yes at the expense of the UKs own military budget, the money for UKRAINE should not be included in the UKs defence budget. Government banging on about spending over 2% but they don’t mention the true figures once they take out Ukrainian spend. It
I’m hoping that some further cooperation with Poland can be part of this visit the potential is enormous and having lost so much capacity working with the Poles could benefit both Countries and offers potential scale.