UK announces new air defence package for Ukraine worth over half a billion pounds

New air defence missiles and systems worth more than £500m will be sent to Ukraine to protect the country from brutal attacks on its energy sites and homes, the UK government has revealed. 

The Defence Secretary is due to confirm that the UK will, for the first time, give £150m to the Nato Prioritised Ukraine Requirements List (PURL) initiative, which ensures the rapid delivery of air defence interceptors to defend Kyiv's skies. 

It comes as John Healey co-chairs the 33rd meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) at Nato headquarters in Brussels. 

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The PURL initiative 

"As we approach the fifth year of Putin's full-scale invasion, the UK and our allies are more committed than ever to supporting Ukraine," Mr Healey said. 

The PURL initiative involves Nato coordinating the purchase of defence equipment from the United States for Ukraine's defence. 

Alongside the air defence systems, the UK is set to deliver an additional 1,000 Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMMs). 

The latest £390m deal builds on the deepening collaboration between the UK and Ukrainian industry as London transfers production and support of Rapid Ranger launchers and command and control vehicles to Ukraine. 

London will also send 1,200 air defence missiles and 200,000 rounds of artillery ammunition to support the war effort in the coming months through the Air Defence Consortium.  

The UDCG

Mr Healey and the German defence minister, Boris Pistorious, will co-chair the UDCG meeting of 50 nations in Belgium's capital. 

Ukrainian defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov, Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte and Australian deputy prime minister Richard Marles are also attending the meeting. 

The agenda at the meeting will include Ukraine's key military needs for 2026, battlefield insights, equipment deliveries and any gaps that need to be addressed. 

The UK co-leads the UDCG with Germany and the Coalition of the Willing with France.