UK Provides Kyiv With $9.4M in Drones, Hits Milestone in Troop Training
The UK has unveiled a new military support package for Ukraine featuring drones, as the number of Ukrainian recruits trained on British soil surpassed 50,000.
The initiative focuses on a budget of 7.5 million pounds ($9.4 million) for new attack and surveillance drones as part of the drone coalition led by the UK and Latvia, which has an annual funding pool of 3 billion pounds ($3.8 billion).
The announcement comes as “spending by the UK Government on military support for Ukraine is now at its highest ever” and is set to continue “this year and every year for as long as it takes,” the British government stated.
Drones Support
Last month, the UK Prime Minister pledged additional naval support for Ukraine, including uncrewed surface vessels and maritime drones designed for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance.
In addition, London launched two industry competitions to develop and procure advanced unmanned aerial systems, including 300 large first-person view drones.
While the first procurement is complete, with contractors set to deliver in the coming months, the second competition is still open for expressions of interest and includes interceptor drones capable of neutralizing incoming attack drones and artillery.
In March, the UK government announced plans to supply over 10,000 drones to the Ukrainian armed forces, to be delivered throughout the year.
Training Troops
Besides funding for equipment, the UK has been implementing various initiatives to train Kyiv’s soldiers and recruits before they are deployed to the frontline.
In September, London announced that it would extend the Operation Interflex training program until the end of 2025.
The program was initiated in 2022, and it is now supported by 12 other countries to train Ukrainian soldiers.
The training takes place at several locations across the UK, engaging volunteer recruits who have joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine with little or no previous military experience.
Exercises last a minimum of five weeks, during which international instructors guide recruits to achieve combat readiness through training in weapons handling, battlefield first aid, and patrol tactics.
“The training allows Ukraine’s forces to accelerate their deployments, rebuild their forces, and scale-up their resistance as they continue to defend their nation against Russian invaders,” the UK Ministry of Defence stated in a press release.
