War in Ukraine: 150,000 drones, 350 defense missiles and radar systems… ​​​​​​​The United Kingdom will deliver $1 billion in weapons to Kyiv thanks to proceeds from frozen Russian assets

The British government announced on Thursday June 18 that the United Kingdom will provide Ukraine with 150,000 drones and more than 350 air defense missiles and radar systems, as part of a new military aid package worth almost $1 billion (£752 million).

The program will be financed through the UK’s extraordinary Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) loan of £2.26 billion ($3 billion) to Ukraine, secured by revenues generated by stranded Russian assets.

This assistance includes Ukrainian-made drones which will be delivered by the end of 2026, as well as lightweight multi-role missiles and land-based radar systems intended to strengthen Ukraine’s air defenses.

British Defense Secretary Dan Jarvis announced the aid plan after meeting President Volodymyr Zelensky in Brussels, on the sidelines of the meeting of NATO Defense Ministers and the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group (UDCG), which brings together nearly 50 countries coordinating military support to Ukraine. It focuses on Ukraine’s urgent needs on the battlefield and helps sustain long-term military support for Kyiv.

This military aid program follows a series of measures announced by London earlier this week, including aid of 210 million pounds sterling ($282 million) to fuel Ukrainian nuclear power plants and 70 new sanctions targeting the Russian ghost fleet, arms acquisition networks and financial systems illicit.

The British government also announced it would take command of the Multinational Force Ukraine headquarters, which coordinates international support for Kyiv and helps prepare for the long-term reconstruction of Ukraine’s armed forces in the event of a peace deal.

Major General Tom Bateman will take command in July.