UK to give artillery rounds and helicopters as part of military aid to Ukraine

F.P. Report

LONDON: An additional 10,000 artillery rounds will be provided by the UK to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s illegal invasion, the Defence Secretary has announced on a visit to Norway.

The rounds will enhance Ukraine’s defensive capability and come as the first delivery of Sea King helicopters arrives in Ukraine to provide key search and rescue capabilities.

The Royal Navy provided a six-week programme of Sea King training in the UK for 10 crews of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and associated engineers.

The additional military aid comes after Prime Minister Rishi Sunak visited Kyiv at the weekend, where he announced a £50 million package of defence aid. That package included 125 anti-aircraft guns and technology to counter deadly Iranian-supplied drones, including dozens of radars and anti-drone electronic warfare capability.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

Our Support for Ukraine is unwavering. These additional artillery rounds will help Ukraine to secure the land it has reclaimed from Russia in recent weeks.

The Defence Secretary is visiting Norway where he will host a meeting of the Northern Group of defence ministers onboard the UK’s aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth.

The meeting is expected to cover the implications of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, security developments in Northern Europe, and Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership applications.

The Northern Group is a UK initiative which aims to promote more coherent, efficient and effective defence and security co-operation in northern Europe. It comprises 12 nations; Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the UK.

The UK is also supplying winter kit to Ukraine’s troops as they continue to battle to liberate their country from Russian forces as winter rapidly approaches – when temperatures are known to sink to minus 20°C and below in parts of the country.

Heavy duty sleeping bags and roll mats, combined with heated accommodation and personal winter clothing, will help to prevent cold-related injuries and ensure troops can operate effectively and efficiently.