The UK Government has unveiled an additional allocation of £450m ($588.43m) to bolster military support for Ukraine’s ‘frontline fight’.
Defence Secretary John Healey announced the package as 50 nations meet for the 27th Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels, Belgium. The event was co-convened by the UK and Germany
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The latest tranche of assistance draws £350m from the UK’s £4.5bn defence fund earmarked for Ukraine this fiscal year.
Additional contributions are being channelled through the International Fund for Ukraine, spearheaded by the UK, with Norway as a financial contributor.
This infusion will allocate £160m from the UK to sustain and mend vehicles and gear previously supplied to Ukraine – a move that will pair British firms with Ukrainian counterparts, bolstering both economies and safeguarding employment within the sector.
The announcement also highlighted a new ‘close fight’ military aid package, valued at more than £250m, which is financed by both the UK and Norway.
This package will provide radar systems, anti-tank mines, and hundreds of thousands of drones.
The drones, including manoeuvrable first-person view (FPV) drones and those capable of dropping explosives.
These two drone types are reportedly behind 60–70% of the damage inflicted on Russian equipment.
Procurement for the new kit will involve both UK and Ukrainian suppliers.
John Healey said: “The work of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group is vital to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position and pile pressure on Putin to help force him to end this terrible war. We cannot jeopardise peace by forgetting the war, which is why today’s major package will surge support to Ukraine’s frontline fight.
“2025 is the critical year for Ukraine. Our job as defence ministers is to put into the hands of the Ukrainian war fighters what they need. We must step up to deter Russian aggression by continuing to bolster Ukraine’s defences.”
The £160m allocated for equipment repairs and maintenance will be managed by the UK’s Taskforce HIRST.
This initiative aims to ensure that armoured vehicles and other essential equipment are rapidly returned to the battlefield.
This support scheme also offers British entities insights from active engagements while reinforcing domestic industrial capabilities—a tangible reflection of the centennial partnership between the UK and Ukraine as recently proclaimed by the Prime Minister.
Earlier in April 2025, Belgium pledged a bilateral aid package to support Ukraine, with a commitment to provide €1bn annually starting in 2025.
