Ukraine Defence Minister visits Defence team securing vital military aid

The visit took place at MOD Abbey Wood near Bristol. Abbey Wood is the base of Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), the part of the MOD responsible for procuring much of the military support that the UK is sending to Ukraine.

The UK was the first European country to provide weapons to Ukraine and has so far provided over £2.3 billion worth of military aid, including hundreds of armoured vehicles, thousands of anti-tank weapons, and Multiple-Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS) which have been able to strike targets on the battlefield with pinpoint accuracy.

While at Abbey Wood, the Minister saw the ongoing efforts to ensure the UK’s support is aligned with Ukraine’s requirements and military priorities.

Also today, Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey joined a call with counterparts from the US-led Ukraine Defense Contact Group (UDCG). The UDCG is made up of around 50 countries from around the world who discuss and pledge support for Ukraine in line with their requirements and needs.

Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey MP said:

The Ukrainian people have no closer friend in their heroic fight than the United Kingdom. The military aid we have provided so far has made a real difference on the battlefield. My continued engagement with Volodymyr and with international partners through organisations like the Ukraine Defense Contact Group have allowed us to support Ukraine’s requirements for the coming winter and beyond.

Andy Start DE&S CEO said:

I’m immensely proud of the work the teams at DE&S have done to support our Ukrainian allies to date. This has been a huge team effort involving different parts of government, and companies right across our supply chain.

While in the UK, the Ukrainian Minister also visited the UK-led programme to train the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the UK, as well as discussions with UK industry partners.

It comes the week after the UK announced it was providing Ukraine with equipment to support its armed forces through harsh winter conditions, as well as 1,000 more surface-to-air missiles to counter threats to Ukrainian infrastructure.