Royal Air Force C-17 flights supplying weapons, ammunition and other equipment started before the invasion and have not stopped since.
However, after the invasion, they now land in Poland near the Ukrainian border for obvious reasons.
British weapons supply flights to Ukraine remain underway – The flights started before the invasion and have not stopped since. However, they now land in Poland near the Ukrainian border. This flight has just returned to the UK. Here's a timelapse. pic.twitter.com/henQv4ohHg
— George Allison (@geoallison) October 3, 2023
We cover these flights as they happen to make sure people know they’re happening. This isn’t secret information.
UK military assistance to Ukraine
Recently, the United Kingdom pledged to supply Ukraine with “tens of thousands more artillery shells” this year. This comes on the back of an already significant delivery, with the UK having provided over 300,000 artillery shells to the nation.
During the 15th Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) meeting held at the US Air Force base in Ramstein, Germany, the Defence Secretary, alongside Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS), Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, reiterated the nation’s firm support.
The UDCG, comprising representatives from nearly 50 countries, convenes to coordinate international assistance for Ukraine.
“Today we’ve demonstrated the UK’s unwavering commitment to Ukraine and set out more military support, including pledging tens of thousands more artillery shells to enable Ukraine to defend itself against Russia’s unprovoked invasion and to retake illegally occupied territories,” stated Defence Secretary Grant Shapps.
He further highlighted plans to bolster support in priority areas such as air defence, long-range strike capabilities, and training as the winter months approach.
Admiral Sir Tony Radakin commented on the gathering’s significance, saying, “With representatives from 50 nations gathered in Ramstein today, President Putin should be worried. This is a tangible demonstration of the international community’s continued resolve to back Ukraine with the military support it requires through the winter and into 2024.”
To date, the UK has supplied more than 12,000 anti-tank weapons, 300,000 rounds of artillery ammunition, thousands of missiles, self-propelled artillery, and more than 200,000 pieces of non-lethal equipment, including extreme cold weather clothing, mine detection equipment, and industrial strength generators.
As the second-largest contributor of military assistance, the UK has provided lethal weaponry such as anti-tank missiles, artillery, air defence systems, armoured fighting vehicles, and anti-structure munitions, including three M270 long-range multiple launch rocket systems. In January 2023, the UK announced a substantial increase in combat support, with the provision of 14 Challenger II main battle tanks.
Moreover, the UK has contributed over 200,000 units of non-lethal aid, including body armour, helmets, night vision equipment, medical supplies, and winter clothing. In November 2022, the Ministry of Defence confirmed the delivery of the first of three retired Sea King search and rescue helicopters to Ukraine.
You can read about the specifics of UK military aid to Ukraine here.
Operation Interflex, the UK’s long-term training program for the Ukrainian armed forces, has the potential to train up to 10,000 new and existing Ukrainian soldiers every 120 days. The program includes the participation of the Netherlands, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark, Lithuania, and New Zealand, with Australia joining in January 2023. The UK has expanded the program to include Ukrainian fast jet pilots and marines, as confirmed in February 2023.
Combined with economic and humanitarian aid, the UK has committed a total of £3.8 billion to Ukraine since February 2022. It is worth noting that the United States is the largest provider of military assistance to Ukraine, having provided $29.3 billion since February 2022.
Looking for some reassurance from the experts here because with reports of wavering support from some quarters in the US and talk of dwindling stocks of armament throughout NATO, and even the oil production limits being enforced by Russia and Saudi Arabia and probably a good few other things, I’m seriously concerned that things favour an outcome that is more palatable to Putin than Ukraine and the free world.
Putin appears very happy to play the long expensive game and wait. I just hope he doesn’t live long enough to get whatever it is he wants (if even he knows what that actually is, the fruitcake).
The positives are Russia hasn’t the ability to pacify let alone fully occupy Ukraine and it’s hard to imagine the Ukrainians accepting any loss of territory.
That may mean a frozen/forever conflict but at least it doesn’t suggest an emboldened Putin, fresh from any sort of decisive victory looking for the next target.
There was never any ‘next target’ , just hyperbole.
When Putins tanks cant even get to Kyiv , the Polish border or Warsaw or Berlin is just a fantasy
I don’t think it was fantasy to Putin’s elite until day three and the turrets of their tanks started popping regularly thanks to NLAWs.
They really did believe in their wonder weapons – S400, Armata, Hypersonics etc all proved to be nonsense or detestable by weapons systems NATO was looking at retiring.
Clearly it is now a fantasy.
Patriot when it first came out seem to be substantially below par, same went for Iron Dome.
Ukraine and Moscow is very good at using the media to put out its version and cover up its mistakes.
dont believe those ‘twitter experts” from both sides- who seem to have replaced armchair generals.
They are all working in league with the military intell despite what they claim
I wonder how much “extreme cold weather clothing” Russia supplies to its conscripts this coming winter…
Who cares
I expect the conscripts care. I was being cynical but reminded of (reports of ) the lack of cold weather clothing issued to the Russian soldiers last winter. Reports also that they had to resort to supplying their own.
And finally, yes, I care… on a human level, whoever they are, if they are not properly clothed for surviving the harsh winter in that part of the world.
Oh OK, I’m more concerned about the unnecessary killing of civilians to be honest but yes let’s spare a thought for cold alcoholic Russians in winter.
More people die in London from the cold weather than in Moscow . I read about this many decades ago as Russians just dont go outside unless they have suitable clothing. In UK they never really understood that, and it doesnt have to be blizzards either.
Read the comments properly Derek
Im relying on facts not drivel
Evening Standard headline
“Thousands of people are dying needlessly each year in the UK as the country has the second-worst rate of excess winter deaths in Europe, a study found.
Only Ireland has a higher proportion of people dying due to cold weather than the UK, compared with the rest of the continent.”
What you mean is London actually records each death where Moscow couldn’t care and will make up any number they like.
Very true. Some decades ago I worked for a British company in Moscow during the winter and remarked on the benches to be seen along the major roads.
A local commented that they were an efficient way to collect up the bodies of vodka drunks who usually died there over the -20°c night because they were too drunk to stay in the underground station.
I thought that was a harsh way to deal with addiction and deprivation.
Now I don’t care how orcs die
were you so worried about the Ukrainian civilians last winter when the Russians tried to destroy their energy infrastructure and literally freeze the civilian population to death?
It is possible to care about more than one thing at a time.
Interestingly the BBC has a report that NATO war stocks of artillery shells is running to the bottom of the barrel..with the U.S. ak ready handing over 2million 155mm shells…it seems the west has way underestimated the amount of ammunition you need to fight a peer war.
The lack of artillery ammunition is definitely a problem, but NATO would never fight such an artillery heavy war. NATO has had the air power advantage over Russia since the 50s and would make full use of that in a war, just like Desert Storm.
Air power does not replace artillery.
I don’t believe it’s the case of running out of ammunition. It may be the case that there’s not much spare left to give away for some countries.
Production is ramping up but it’s taking time. Europe could produce 350,000 155mm shells a year and that number is increasing.
Unfortunately Ukraine is needing loads.
Ukraine needs a lot of kit and the supporters should have got equipment programs started ages ago. All nations together need to do more.
They’ve been flying into Rzeszow virtually from Day 1 – I’m a bit bemused by the suggestion that this is new.
Who has suggested this is new, Wyn?
Thanks for keeping us up to date.
Is it just C17s that are delivering?
Have we seen any voyager, A400 taking stuff there? Or charter planes?
Someone didn’t read the article.
Article headline says these flights have been happening since before the invasion.
Then says this: We cover these flights as they happen to make sure people know they’re happening. This isn’t secret information.
This is a defence website and these flights are defence news.
I’m glad for the updates
Fair comment but the sentence “However, after the invasion, they now land in Poland near the Ukrainian border for obvious reasons.” is a bit ambiguous, it seems to me… but then I’m a pedant!
All well and good but according to those truth telling stalwarts of impartiality at the BBC the U.K. has spent up till Aug 23 ,7.3 billion the US 46 billion in military aid where’s it gone? Up in smoke or sold off through corruption cos everyone know how seriously Ukraine takes anti corruption.And this is just the cost of Military aid never mind the so called economic aid cost.
Our country is facing many issues financially & socially , our military is being salami sliced and weakened yet everyone is desperate to give as much precious resource away as possible to a foreign nation we have no responsibility for.
We can’t even enforce our own borders despite being in the best position of being an Island . Those billions would have gone along way in retaining assets like C-130 , more P-8 , more C3 , more Typhoons an increase in manpower I’m sorry but this is grade A looney tune.
Absolute doh balls in Kiev giving up their nukes if they’d retained them none of this would be happening but then you have to look at who didn’t want them to keep them ………
🏴🇬🇧
This is the best money spent and is delivering fantastic value for money. The treasury is meant to be covering any costs, so this money would not exist to fund other programs if it wasn’t going to Ukraine.
The USA loves to put high values on kit and also the money would not have been spent else where if it didn’t go to Ukraine.
Ukraine is not the same corrupt country it was prior to 2013. They made massive increases in sorting the country out.
Is it perfect? No. Would it be better not helping and letting Russia get a free run, certainly not.
I’d be happy for the U.K. to spend 10 times as much, using the money to purchase items from U.K. suppliers to sent to Ukraine, keeping the cash in the U.K. economy. That would be a better investment than some of the projects the government does.
Ah yes, HS2 minus 1/2′.
If we gave Ukraine the HS2 money they could have supplied with enough scrap Russian steel to build a railway round the world.
Unfortunately the fact free 45th president of the United States is pushing another deluded fantasy that US tax payers are being cheated out of the less than 5 percent of annual US Defence spending that is largely being recycled to Ukraine instead of incurring the expense of safe disposal.
Given the massive reduction in RF combat effectiveness (50%?) that’s a bargain but no the Mexican border is the MAGA priority along with disrespecting the honourable time served Chief of Defense Staff.
I do understand why the election deluded hate the General Milley since he was clear that 2.1 Mn US armed forces people swear allegiance to the Constitution not to a wannabe dictator.
The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution bars insurrectionists from holding public office so hopefully he will not be the 47th president.
The Judge has already found that his ‘I’m a great businessman’ delusion is actually Fraud so if his 91 enditements all go so Great (Nuclear weapon secrets!) he’s out of the election and into Fulson County Jail or similar.
Thus NATO member states support for Ukraine will continue and kaputin is toast.
Slava Ukraine! Slava Heroyim!
#StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦
Nice fantasy. The reality is Russia has established a controlled buffer region in Ukraine. The Ukrainian ‘offensive’ was a total bust. The USA is tired of paying for Europe’s defense. The US is going to wind down this support, Europe can either step up or continue to do nothing.
We really need to wake up from our “Peace dividend” myopic delusional slumber & produce the kit & ammo we need going forward. You’d think our greedy wealth-sucking corporations would jump at the chance to produce more ammo fast, but we’re running out simply supplying modest amounts to UKR.
“Be prepared” as Baden Powell said.
If countries had done what people on here were suggesting and got production ramped up 19 months ago perhaps this this could have been less of a problem.
Sometimes it’s like watching someone sleep walking towards a cliff.
Within a month I thought there should be armoured vehicle lines getting opened, ammo production dramatically increased, same with missiles and all other items required.
Instead they emptied the cupboards hoping it would all be ok.
Some production has increased but not nearly enough.
And we still see armoured vehicles, land rovers, mine clearing equipment! For sale on MOD surplus suppliers. These should all be refurbished and sent.
You’re missing the point: Nobody wants to pay for it. Continental Europe loves freeloading off US defense, while simultaneously talking s*it about the UK and US. Look at Germany’s promise to spend 100bn euros on defense, words are free, and it’s never going to happen. It’s their threat, let them face it for once.