Britain will send 650 anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine to support it

Russia launched its largest airstrike on Ukraine last week since the all-out war began in early 2022. Ukraine has repeatedly asked for more air defense support to protect itself from missile and drone attacks.

The new missile delivery was announced as British Defense Secretary John Healey attended the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, an ad hoc coalition of about 50 nations, at a U.S. air base in Germany.

The Defense Ministry said the first shipment of missiles announced on Friday is expected to arrive by the end of the year, in line with the new government's commitment to speed up aid deliveries to Ukraine.

“This new commitment will provide a significant boost to Ukraine’s air defense,” Healey said in a statement.

The Defense Ministry said Thales' missiles have a range of more than 6 kilometers and can be fired from various platforms on land, sea and in the air. Last Monday, Russia fired more than 200 missiles and drones at Ukraine, killing seven people and hitting energy facilities across the country. Kyiv called the attack the “most massive” of the war.