Britain has announced it will provide Ukraine with 150,000 drones, alongside 350 air-defence missiles and radar systems, as part of its largest-ever military support package to Kyiv. The British Defence Secretary, Dan Jarvis, revealed the delivery plan during a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Brussels. The equipment is scheduled to be supplied by the end of the year and is funded by a £752 million portion of a £2.26 billion loan to Ukraine, financed through profits from seized Russian assets.

The package includes Ukrainian-produced drones, lightweight multi-role missiles, and ground-based radar systems aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s ability to defend against Russian strikes, particularly those targeting civilian areas. This allocation builds on the 120,000 drones the UK had already committed to delivering by the end of March.

Jarvis, who recently replaced John Healey as Defence Secretary following a dispute over Britain’s delayed defence investment plan, emphasized the importance of strengthening alliance deterrence and supporting Ukraine amid what he termed Russia’s “brutal war of aggression.” His appointment came ahead of a 50-member meeting co-chaired with Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, where discussions included NATO’s broader defence spending goals.

Concurrent with the announcement, Kyiv launched a significant drone attack on Moscow, marking one of the largest strikes on the Russian capital since the conflict began over four years ago. Russian officials reported that the assault ignited a major oil refinery fire, caused widespread black smoke, and disrupted commercial flights at Moscow’s airports.

While the British government continues to escalate support for Ukraine, NATO leaders, including Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, have called on member states to present credible plans to increase defence spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2035. This includes a core defence spending target of 3.5 percent of GDP alongside 1.5 percent allocated for broader resilience efforts.

The UK’s own defence investment plan remains postponed amid internal debates about the appropriate level of funding. Healey had criticized the plan for proposing only an additional £13.5 billion in defence expenditure, well below government officials’ estimated requirement of £28 billion.

Overall, the drone and missile package reflects the UK’s intensified commitment to supporting Ukraine's military efforts as Kyiv continues to counter Russian aggression across multiple fronts.