THE UK Government will provide Ukraine’s armed forces with advanced attack drones, the Ministry of Defence has announced after it signed a deal with an Anglo-American defence company.
The agreement with Anduril will see drones Altius 600m and Altius 700m systems – designed to monitor an area before striking targets that enter it – being supplied to Ukraine to help tackle Russian aggression in the Black Sea.
The new contracts total nearly £30 million and are backed by the International Fund for Ukraine, the Ministry of Defence said.
Defence Secretary John Healey said: “We are determined to achieve a secure, lasting peace in Ukraine, which means putting Ukraine in the strongest possible position to prevent any return to Russian aggression.”
The announcement comes amid concerns that the US move to halt intelligence-sharing with Ukraine will affect the country’s ability to use western weaponry and deprive it of advanced information about incoming threats.
Defence Secretary John Healey visited Anduril’s Washington facility on Wednesday before talks with his US counterpart Pete Hegseth.
Healey said: “We are determined to achieve a secure, lasting peace in Ukraine, which means putting Ukraine in the strongest possible position to prevent any return to Russian aggression.
“The UK has already provided more than 10,000 drones to Ukraine’s Armed Forces, which have proved vital in disrupting Russian troop advances and targeting positions behind the frontline.
“With a £2.26 billion loan from seized Russian assets, plus £1.6 billion worth of air defence missiles announced for Ukraine in the last week, the UK is continuing to show leadership in securing a lasting peace for Ukraine.”
This comes after over 100 Labour MPs and peers called on British financial institutions to class UK defence investments as ethical to boost support for Ukraine.
The group said financial institutions can “do more” to help the UK defence sector support Ukraine’s war effort as well as “rapidly generate the capabilities it needs to defend itself”.
