British Army has capability gaps due to the war in Ukraine, says Armed Forces Minister

The UK Armed Forces have "capability gaps" due to the Ukrainian war, and “nearly all” of the Army's AS90 mobile artillery units have been donated says the Armed Forces Minister.

Whilst vital equipment is being provided to Ukrainian troops to defend their homeland against the invading Russian army, the UK has been left with stock issues says Minister Luke Pollard.

He said that support for Ukraine had resulted in "some capability gaps, especially in the British Army".

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During a Ministry of Defence briefing, Mr Pollard said: "That is one of the things we are taking into the SDR (Strategic Defence Review), how do we make sure we are backfilling our stockpiles with the equipment and the ammunition that is needed."

He also said the UK had sent "nearly all" of its AS90 mobile artillery units to Ukraine.

Mr Pollard added: "That was the right decision, absolutely the right thing to do.

"But there is a challenge now about what do we do in the interim period."

The Minister said the SDR will consider the makeup of the UK's armed forces and how they need to adapt in response to the "changing nature of warfare".

Mr Pollard also said that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine "should be the wake-up call we need to make the case for a stronger defence".

He insisted that the review team had not been instructed to make cuts but would instead seek to "right-size" the UK's military capability.