Defence Secretary welcomes Ukrainian counterpart to UK and confirms £1bn milestone in UK-administered fund

Urgent work to accelerate the delivery of the UK's military support for Ukraine will be discussed between the Defence Secretary and his counterpart, Rustem Umerov, during a visit to London today.

The visit comes during a milestone moment in international support for Ukraine, with eight countries from across the world having now joined the UK to provide more than £1 billion to the International Fund for Ukraine (IFU), in a significant show of unity from Ukraine's allies.

It comes after the Prime Minister announced the IFU's largest ever support package at the NATO Summit in July, with a £300m contract to supply 152mm artillery shells to supply Ukraine's Soviet-era guns. He also confirmed £3bn of UK aid for Ukraine per year for as long as it takes.

The Defence Secretary confirmed today the £300m contract has now been signed and is expected to deliver thousands of shells before the end of the year - providing a significant boost for Ukraine's stockpiles and aligning with the Government's acceleration of military support deliveries.

Denmark, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Norway all confirmed their intent this summer to invest additional money in the Fund to purchase more drones to help on the frontline, as well as vital air defence capabilities to help shield Ukraine's people and key infrastructure from relentless Russian bombardment.

Defence Secretary, John Healey, said:

UK military equipment continues to prove invaluable for Ukraine's war effort. The ongoing defensive operation in Kursk underlines the crucial importance of continued support. And today's milestone for the International Fund for Ukraine shows the value of working with our Allies to deliver that support.

Our government is stepping up Britain's support for Ukraine to fight Putin's illegal invasion. We are speeding up deliveries of aid, with a much-needed ammunition package announced by the Prime Minister at NATO set to begin deliveries within months. We will continue to step up our support to help Ukraine achieve victory.

In his first days as Defence Secretary, John Healey met President Zelenskyy and Minister Umerov in Ukraine, where he pledged to accelerate the delivery of the UK's military support for Ukraine.

The artillery ammunition contract, placed by Defence Equipment & Support - the MOD's procurement arm - will deliver 120,000 newly-manufactured shells over the next 18 months, and will stimulate industrial capacity in Europe and safeguard reliable supply chains that will continue to provide Ukraine with vital ammunition.

It follows previous packages of support from the IFU, which have delivered heavy-lift and reconnaissance drones, maritime drones, minefield-clearing capabilities, combat vehicle spares and air defence systems.

The IFU was first launched by Denmark and the UK in 2022 to provide a more efficient way for countries to pool resources to buy equipment and weapons to support Ukraine's most urgent capability needs. The UK has donated £500m to the Fund to date.

With artillery having proved critical to Ukraine's previous battlefield successes, this new investment will support them in further degrading Russia's forces and preventing them from making significant breakthroughs.

Other contributors to the IFU include Australia, Iceland, New Zealand, and Sweden. Further deliveries from the IFU's other contracts will continue through the coming months.