UK to finance, produce thousands of long-range UAVs for Ukraine – Defense Secretary

British Secretary of State for Defence John Healey, who is co-chairing the 30th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (in the Ramstein format) together with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius, announced the financing and production on its territory of thousands of long-range strike drones for Ukraine.

While opening the meeting in the Ramstein format on Tuesday, he said that over the next 12 months, the United Kingdom will finance thousands of long-range strike drones, which we will manufacture in the United Kingdom and deliver to Ukraine.

He called on partners to quickly provide Ukrainian fighters with more of the equipment they need to defend themselves against Russian aggression.

"We have increased our military assistance to Ukraine, but Putin has also increased his actions, so we must do even more. We must accelerate and strengthen our support for Ukraine," the minister said.

He assured that the UK would continue to push for peace and continue to try to bring Putin to the negotiating table.

Healey said at our last Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in July, he launched a 50-day campaign to accelerate their support for Ukraine, and during that time the UK has delivered almost 5 million rounds of ammunition, 60,000 artillery shells, missiles and rocket launchers, 2,500 unmanned platforms and 200 electronic warfare and defence systems.

The 30th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Ramstein) in a hybrid format started on Tuesday evening. In London, UK Defense Secretary John Healey, together with his German counterpart Boris Pistorius, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and Ukrainian Defense Minister Denys Shmyhal are present. Other participants joined the meeting online.

Earlier, Minister of Defense of Ukraine Shmyhal announced that he had arrived in London with his department's team for a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group (Ramstein). A number of negotiations with government officials of partner countries and private manufacturers are also planned.