According to AFP, on September 8 (local time), the British Ministry of Defense announced a support of 100 million British pounds (about 135 million USD) to strengthen Ukraine's air defense capabilities.
The support package includes anti-aircraft interceptor missiles, large-caliber artillery shells and unmanned aerial vehicles. This is part of the UK's commitment to contribute within the framework of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s Ukraine support program.
Ukraine's Priority Requirements List (PURL) was established by the US Department of Defense and NATO in 2022. More than 20 countries have invested billions of USD in this mechanism, to ensure stable military and non-military support, along with the possibility of transition for Ukraine. Most military equipment is purchased from the US.
Equipment is expected to be handed over before the winter to help Ukraine protect its armed forces, people and key infrastructure from airstrikes.
Ukraine is currently heavily dependent on advanced systems, mainly US Patriot interceptor missiles. However, this country has faced a shortage of this missile supply since February this year, as allies have to transfer military resources for conflicts in the Middle East region.
British Prime Minister Andy Burnham visited Ukraine last month, on his first foreign trip since taking office at the end of July. Recently, Britain also agreed to provide Ukraine with information about components of the SCALP/Storm Shadow long-range missile, creating conditions for Ukraine to establish an assembly line domestically.
The announcement was made right before the meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Liaison Group of 50 countries co-chaired by new British Defense Secretary Wess Streeting on September 8.
