Defence Online

£245M munitions package for Ukraine

Land March 6, 2024

The UK will spend nearly a quarter of a billion pounds throughout the next year to procure and invigorate supply chains to produce urgently needed artillery ammunition to boost Ukraine’s reserves.

The announcement of £245M in support came exactly two years to the day since Putin launched his illegal full-scale invasion of Ukraine – with artillery having proved critical to Ukraine’s battlefield successes, continuously degrading Russia’s forces and preventing them from making significant breakthroughs.

Ukraine has been particularly noted for its highly effective use of its artillery to conduct counter-battery fire – using drones and UK-supplied radar systems to quickly identify the locations of active Russian artillery and rapidly return fire to destroy them.

The UK has been leading international support for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) for ten years since Russia first invaded Crimea in 2014, training more than 60,000 new recruits since 2015 and committing almost £12Bn in economic, humanitarian, and military aid since 2022.

In an update to Parliament, the Defence Secretary confirmed delivery of an additional 200 Brimstone anti-tank missiles to the AFU, bringing the total number of Brimstone provided to Ukraine to more than 1,300 – further building on the UK’s enduring support to Ukraine – having been the first country to announce it would provide modern, Western tanks in the form of Challenger 2 and the first country to provide long-range precision strike missiles in the form of Storm Shadow.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Two years ago to the day, Putin defied all rationality and regulation to launch his reckless and illegal full-scale invasion – throwing tens of thousands of unprepared and unwitting troops into what he described as a limited military operation. But as the war now enters its third year, the steadfast determination and resilience of the brave people of Ukraine continues to inspire the world.

“Against all odds, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have pushed back the Russian invaders to recapture half of the land Putin stole, while significantly degrading Russia’s capabilities – with around 30 per cent of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet destroyed or damaged, and thousands of tanks and armoured vehicles reduced to scrap.

“But they cannot win this fight without the support of the international community – and that’s why we continue to do what it takes to ensure Ukraine can continue to fight towards victory. Nearly a quarter of a billion pounds’ worth of UK funding will boost their critical stockpiles of artillery ammunition, while the Royal Air Force completes a further delivery of advanced tank-busting missiles. Together, we will ensure Putin fails, and a victory for democracy, the rules-based international order, and the Ukrainian people.”

Further to the artillery funding and missiles package, a new multi-million pound series of contracts has been signed between the MOD’s procurement arm, Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), and UK-based Cook Defence Systems to provide hundreds of spare caterpillar tracks for tanks and armoured vehicles – which will allow the AFU to recover and restore vehicles damaged by anti-tank weapons and landmines. The contracts will involve a mixture of UK funding and funds from the International Fund for Ukraine.

The contracts with Cook Defence Systems, a family-owned business in Northeast England, will boost the local economy and have so far delivered 15 new jobs.

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Post written by: Vicky Maggiani

Vicky has worked in media for over 20 years and has a wealth of experience in editing and creating copy for a variety of sectors.