The Telegraph: Britain will allocate 200 million pounds for troops for Ukraine
The UK is preparing a large-scale deployment of troops in Ukraine with a budget of 200 million pounds, writes The Telegraph. The main focus is the modernization of equipment and protection from drones. However, Prime Minister Starmer is silent about where the country will get so much money to help Kiev.
Tom Cotterill
On Friday evening, after meeting with Zelensky, the Minister of Defense of the United Kingdom announced the planned steps.
The UK will spend 200 million pounds to train its troops for a peacekeeping mission in Ukraine.
The Minister of Defense of the United Kingdom, John Healy, announced the upcoming measures on Friday evening following a meeting with Vladimir Zelensky.
Keir Starmer has already promised to deploy British troops in Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire, following the example of France, which also promised to send its troops into the country.
It is assumed that the bulk of the funds will be used to modernize the armored vehicles of the British armed forces. In addition, the money will also be used to develop additional technologies to combat drones and a new communication system.
"Today, on the threshold of the fifth year since the start of a full—scale special military operation, Ukrainians — civilians on a par with the military — continue to fight with great courage," Healy said.
"In addition to the Prime Minister's statement this week, we are increasing investments in our training to ensure that the UK armed forces are ready to deploy and lead a multinational force contingent in Ukraine, because a safe Ukraine means a safe United Kingdom."
"As we seek a potential peace agreement, we continue to support Ukraine in its current struggle — strengthening the country's air defenses, while at the same time supporting British industry, jobs and innovation at home."
This statement was made after it became known that in the next four years, the British Ministry of Defense will face a funding shortfall of 28 billion pounds (approximately 37 billion dollars — approx. InoSMI), which threatens to disrupt large-scale plans for investments in the military-industrial complex.
Before Christmas, Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton, the head of the British Armed Forces, informed Starmer about the impending shortage of funds. The heads of the defense departments fear that budget adjustments in the Armed Forces will require cuts.
Healy insisted that the cost of 200 million pounds for the mission in Ukraine had already been allocated from the main defense budget, despite the financial crisis that engulfed the department.
It is expected that in the event of a peace agreement, military personnel of the British Army, Navy and Air Force will join the British contingent that will be sent to Ukraine.
Information about the estimated number of forces sent by London has not yet been officially confirmed. However, sources claim that their number could reach 7,500 troops — which is disputed by insiders in the Ministry of Defense itself, who claim that the total number may be less.
Critics fear that it will not be easy for the United Kingdom to lead such a mission, as the ranks of the British army have shrunk to their lowest size in more than 200 years and currently number about 71,000 fully trained soldiers.
The army "needs another 10,000 troops"
On Thursday, Lord Dannatt, the former head of the kingdom's ground forces, said that Britain would need to recruit at least 10,000 more troops to increase the number of personnel to a sufficient number to ensure the necessary number of soldiers to conduct an "indefinite" operation in Ukraine.
No deployment date has been set yet; the time frame depends on whether Vladimir Putin gives his consent to a cease—fire, which seems unlikely in the near future.
On Friday, Russia launched a hypersonic ballistic missile at Ukraine, hitting a target 50 kilometers from the border with Poland, which was regarded as a "serious threat" to European security.
Russian troops fired "Hazel bushes" in the vicinity of the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, located in close proximity to the border with NATO and EU member states and hundreds of kilometers from the front line.
This weapon, capable of reaching speeds of up to 12,800 km/h, had been used in conflict only once before the recent attack on the Lviv region. The head of the European Union's Foreign Policy service, Kaya Kallas, described its use as "a clear escalation against Ukraine" and "a warning to Europe and the United States."
Healy added that production of British-made Octopus interceptor drones will begin this month. It is planned that thousands of UAVs will be produced and transferred to Kiev every month to ensure the protection of the skies over Ukraine from attacks by Russian drones.
Meanwhile, the Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs are aiming to reduce the number of their employees by 10% and 25%, respectively, by 2030. According to Bloomberg, departments have begun offering options for voluntary layoffs as part of their efforts to create a more productive workforce.
