Britain has pledged a further £100 million in support for Ukraine, including Patriot missile defence technology, thousands of artillery rounds and more drones, as Russia launched a fresh wave of attacks on Kyiv and other cities.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting underlined the UK's “unshakeable and unwavering commitment” to Ukraine's struggle against the Russian invasion, speaking to the 50-country Ukraine Defence Contact Group just hours after Russia's latest strikes.
Kyiv and the rest of Ukraine are now suffering more air raids than at any other time since the full-scale invasion began in February 2022, with daily alerts and bombings, and the country is bracing for another winter of attacks.
Streeting's message to allies
Mr Streeting told other nation representatives: “Hopefully it's been very evident to everyone the unshakeable and unwavering commitment our Prime Minister Andy Burnham and our entire country feel to Ukraine, its people and its government as they fight on the front line. It's not just Ukrainian freedom and democracy but for all of our freedoms and democracy.”
He paid tribute to the “resilience, strength and the courage” of Ukraine in light of the “challenging winter” they will face as Russia steps up its violence against civilians.
He added: “It's really important that Russia understands that we won't flinch in our support for Ukraine as they continue to fight for their freedom and for that matter, ours.”
Overnight attack on Kyiv
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered his troops to unleash another attack on Ukraine overnight, targeting civilians with waves of drones and missiles, killing two and injuring ten.
Powerful blasts rang out throughout the capital Kyiv as Russia fired 166 drones, 32 cruise missiles and two ballistic weapons at civilian targets throughout Ukraine. Smoke plumes and fires within buildings sent up an eerie fog that shrouded the city, which has already endured weeks of brutal attacks, with civilians forced into shelters for hours.
North Korean KN-23 ballistic missiles were among the bombs fired, as well as decoy drones to fool air defences and even anti-air attack and anti-ship weapons. Jet-powered Shahed drones, originally made and designed by Iran and increasingly hard to intercept, were also used in the attack on the capital.
Winter aid package
The onslaught is being seen as a warning that Ukraine's civilians are facing a grim winter as the Kremlin will again try to weaponise freezing temperatures. Putin had called a halt of three days to Moscow's attacks while US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner held meetings with President Zelensky in Kyiv.
The attack happened as the UK agreed to commit £100m to boost Ukraine's winter air defences, including Patriot missiles, other interceptors, large artillery rounds and drones.
President Zelensky said after meetings with Witkoff and Kushner broke up: "If the war continues — and we expect the war will continue — we are counting heavily on the winter aid package ... on support for both air defence and the energy sector." He added: "I'm grateful that, despite the long hiatus in any format of negotiations, we may find some form of negotiations acceptable, but it's still worse when there are none at all."
The UK recently agreed to declassify blueprints for British-made components for the Scalp missile, a French-produced version of the Storm Shadow, which has already been used to hit targets in Russia.
Mr Streeting said before the Ukraine Defence Contact Group meeting: "Both the Prime Minister and I heard loud and clear on our first visits to Kyiv the importance of supporting Ukraine through this winter, as Putin prepares to use winter as a weapon by continuing barbaric attacks against civilian and energy targets. We promised to mobilise allies and provide more support wherever we can. Today, we are delivering on that, strengthening Ukraine's defences and, alongside 50 allies, converting commitment into capability. We will stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine until they win. Ukraine's frontline is the frontline for freedom everywhere and our support will not waver."
Prime Minister Andy Burnham spoke to US President Donald Trump about the Ukraine war on Monday, with the two agreeing on the need to "continue working towards a ceasefire that prevented more loss of life". The US envoys held talks in Kyiv on Sunday during an official visit to the country as part of an effort to end the conflict with Russia.
