Military support

uk troops

 

MILITARY RESPONSE

We are strengthening’s Ukraine’s military response and supporting our NATO allies: 

Military support to Ukraine:

  • We are increasing military aid deliveries and sending Javelin anti-tank missiles to Ukraine, providing them with the weapons and equipment they need to fight off the Kremlin’s war machine. We are increasing supplies of rations, medical equipment and other non-lethal aid to Ukraine and will shortly be starting the delivery of Javelin anti-tank missiles, on top of the 3,615 NLAW anti-tank missiles already provided, as well as exploring the donation of Starstreak high-velocity manned portable anti-air missiles.
  • We provided Ukraine with 3,615 anti-tank missiles so far, as we continue to step up deliveries of lethal aid to support their battle against Russian aggression. We led the way as the first country to provide lethal military aid to Ukraine and we have now delivered 3,615 NLAW anti-tank missiles so far as well as rations, medical equipment and other non-lethal military aid, with supplies continuing to increase.
  • We supplied Ukraine with defensive equipment to complement Operation Orbital training and build on the £2.2 million of non-lethal equipment provided since 2015. In February, in response to a request from the Ukrainian Government, we provided additional defensive equipment including body armour, helmets and combat boots, to complement the training provided by the UK and our allies – building on the £2.2 million in non-lethal military equipment we have provided since 2015.
  • We trained over 22,000 Ukrainian troops through Operation Orbital, providing them with the skills they need to defend their country. Since 2015, the UK has helped build the resilience and capacity of the Armed Forces of Ukraine through Operation ORBITAL which has trained around 22,000 Ukrainian troops, giving them the skills they need to take on Russian aggression, including operational planning, urban siege training and countering attacks from snipers and armed vehicles.                                                                                                                                                                                                        
  • We are providing an additional 6,000 anti-tank missiles and £25 million for Ukrainian military. This will more than double the defensive lethal aid we are providing to more than 10,000 missiles, on top of our £400 million in humanitarian and economic aid to Ukraine.                                                                                                                                                                      
  • We have announced that we will send multiple-launch, long-range rocket systems to Ukraine, providing new defensive support to our Ukrainian friends in the face of Russia’s illegal invasion. These highly capable multiple-launch rocket systems will enable our Ukrainian friends to better protect themselves against the brutal use of long-range artillery, which Putin's forces have used indiscriminately to flatten cities                                                                                                                                                                             
  • The House of Commons Library has produced a report on the UK's military support to Ukraine (2014 - 2021) which you can read HERE.

 

Military support to NATO Allies:

  • We deployed extra UK forces to eastern Europe, bolstering NATO’s eastern flank. Extra Royal Navy ships, British Army troops, and Royal Air force fighters have been sent on new deployments in Eastern Europe - alongside our NATO Allies, these deployments constitute a credible deterrent to stop Russian aggression threatening the territorial sovereignty of member states.
  • We deployed additional Typhoon jets to patrol NATO airspace, protecting our allies in the region. On the 17 February, four additional UK Typhoon jets were deployed to Cyprus, and jets from Cyprus and the UK are they are now patrolling NATO airspace over Romania and Poland alongside NATO allies with Voyager air-to-air refuelling aircraft in support.
  • We are stepping up our patrols of the Eastern Mediterranean, with HMS Trent and airborne forces set to be joined by HMS Diamond. HMS Trent is patrolling the Eastern Mediterranean and conducting NATO exercises with Merlin Helicopters and RAF Maritime Patrol Aircraft. They have now been joined by HMS Diamond, a Type 45 destroyer, which set sail from Portsmouth on the 26 February.
  • We doubled the size of our deployment to Estonia and made it clear that we are willing to send more British forces to help protect our allies if NATO makes such a request. We have doubled the number of personnel in Estonia, where the British Army leads NATO’s battlegroup, and we are sending additional equipment, including tanks and armoured fighting vehicles – as well as placing more than 1,000 British troops at readiness to support NATO and allies at their request.

 

 

 

photo: UK troops in Estonia with NATO