Boost for Ukraine air defences as UK pledges £162m light multirole missile systems package
The UK is to supply 650 Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM) systems to Ukraine to boost the country's air defence capabilities.
The new £162m air defence package was being formally announced by the Defence Secretary at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) meeting at the US Air Force Base in Ramstein in Germany.
At the 24th meeting of the group, John Healey will urge allies to continue to supply Ukraine with vital equipment as he sets out the UK's commitment to Ukraine.
The first batch of LMM missiles is expected to be delivered by the end of this year.
The missiles, which are built by Thales at its Belfast factory, are highly versatile and can be fired from a variety of platforms on land, sea and air.
Since Russia's illegal invasion, the UK has provided hundreds of LMM missiles to Ukraine for air defence, destroying hundreds of Russian drones and other air threats.
Travelling at Mach 1.5 with a range of more than 6km, the LMM is highly versatile against a wide range of threats, including armoured personnel carriers, fast in-shore attack craft and unmanned drones.
Mr Healey said: "In recent days we have seen the tragic cost of Russia's indiscriminate strikes on Poltava and Lviv.
"These new UK-made missiles will support Ukraine to defend its people, infrastructure, and territory from Putin's brutal attacks.
"With our international partners today, we will show that we are united for Ukraine. And we will discuss how best we can work together to improve support.
"Because the security of the UK and Europe starts in Ukraine."
Earlier this week in London, Mr Healey met his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umerov to discuss how the UK will continue to ramp up support over the coming months.
At that meeting, the Defence Secretary confirmed that £300m worth of artillery ammunition will start to be delivered by the end of this year to support Ukraine's war effort.
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