UK to send Ukraine 150,000 drones, air defense systems using proceeds from frozen Russian assets

(Tania Myronyshena – The Kyiv Independent) The U.K. will provide Ukraine with 150,000 drones and more than 350 air defense missiles and radar systems under a new military aid package worth 752 million pounds ($1 billion), the British government announced on June 18. The package, unveiled during the NATO defense ministers’ meeting and Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG) gathering in Brussels, will be financed through the U.K.’s 2.26 billion-pound ($3 billion) Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) loan to Ukraine, backed by proceeds generated from immobilized Russian assets. The assistance includes Ukrainian-produced drones to be delivered by the end of 2026, as well as Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM) and ground-based radar systems aimed at strengthening Ukraine’s air defenses against Russia’s continued missile and drone attacks. – UK to send Ukraine 150,000 drones, air defense systems using proceeds from frozen Russian assets