UK pledges 150,000 drones, air defense systems in $1B Ukraine package

The United Kingdom will provide 150,000 drones to Ukraine by the end of 2026 as part of a £750 million (about $1 billion) military support package that also includes air defense missiles and radar systems.

The UK Ministry of Defence announced the package on June 18, 2026, during a meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group in Brussels.

The package includes 150,000 Ukrainian-produced drones, more than 350 air defense missiles and ground-based radar systems, according to the Ministry of Defence.

UK Defence Minister Dan Jarvis said the equipment will be funded through Britain’s £2.26 billion Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration loan to Ukraine. The loan is backed by proceeds from immobilized Russian sovereign assets.

“This £750 million package will put critical air defence equipment in the hands of the Ukrainians,” Jarvis said. “It will help protect Ukrainian civilians and infrastructure from Putin’s barbaric missile and drone attacks.”

The Ministry of Defence said the missiles include Lightweight Multirole Missiles, also known as Martlet. The package also includes ground-based radar systems to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense network.

The announcement came hours after Ukraine carried out one of its largest drone attacks on Moscow since the start of the war.

Russian officials said air defenses intercepted more than 190 drones around the capital, while Ukrainian drones struck the Moscow oil refinery in the Kapotnya district for the second time in a week, disrupting flights at Moscow airports and injuring more than a dozen people. The refinery is one of the main fuel suppliers for the Moscow region.

The drone commitment is one of the largest announced by the UK since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

The UK said the drones will be produced in Ukraine. That follows earlier efforts by London and Kyiv to expand drone production and build a closer defense-industrial partnership.

Drones have become central to the war in Ukraine. Both sides use unmanned aircraft for surveillance, artillery spotting, attacks on vehicles and troops, deep strikes into the other’s territory and air defense support.

The air defense portion of the package comes as Ukraine continues to face large-scale Russian missile and drone attacks against cities, energy infrastructure and military targets.

Jarvis co-chaired the Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting with German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius. The meeting also included US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and defense ministers from Ukraine, France and other countries.

The UK has been one of Ukraine’s largest military backers, supplying long-range missiles, air defense systems, armored vehicles, training and other military support since the start of the full-scale war.The post UK pledges 150,000 drones, air defense systems in $1B Ukraine package appeared first on AeroTime.

Go to Source