Britain to allocate additional £54 million of military aid to Ukraine

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated the allocation of a new £54 million military aid package to Ukraine during his unannounced visit to Kyiv.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited Kyiv on Wednesday, for the third time since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion, when Ukraine celebrates Independence Day.

Great Britain is preparing to send minesweepers to Ukraine.

Ukrainian personnel will master them in British waters in the coming weeks.

Military aid includes unmanned surveillance and anti-tank loitering munitions.

It includes 850 hand-launched Black Hornet micro-drones, which are specifically designed for use in towns and villages and are deployed to detect approaching enemy forces.

“Military personnel can be trained to fly the helicopter drones, which are smaller than a mobile phone, in under 20 minutes. Each drone feeds back live video and still images to allow forces on the ground to defend urban areas safely,” the British government said.

The Ukrainian authorities requested this type of equipment to combat a full-scale Russian invasion.

“Today’s package of support will give the brave and resilient Ukrainian Armed Forces another boost in capability, allowing them to continue to push back Russian forces and fight for their freedom,” Johnson said.

According to the British government, the UK has committed more than £2.3bn of military and financial aid to Ukraine since the invasion began in February.

Previously, the British Ministry of Defense received a large number of Chinese Type 56 assault rifles and a Yugoslav Zastava M70 assault rifle for the training of Ukrainian soldiers.

Britain also donated clothing and equipment to support Ukrainian soldiers.