Written By Lisa Murimi
The UK will provide an additional £162 million military aid package to Ukraine, including 650 Lightweight Multirole Missiles (LMM), to bolster the country’s air defenses amid ongoing Russian assaults.
The announcement came ahead of a summit at the Ramstein air base in Germany, where Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky renewed his appeal for more military support, particularly requesting permission to strike targets deep inside Russia using Western-supplied weapons.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey confirmed the new aid, emphasizing its importance in boosting Ukraine’s defense capabilities.
The LMMs, lightweight with precision guidance, are designed to minimize collateral damage and have a range of over 6 km.
Hundreds have already been delivered to Ukraine.
However, experts, such as Prof Michael Clark, former head of the Royal United Services Institute, caution that Ukraine needs “more of everything” to counter the intense Russian offensives.
Zelensky highlighted the dire situation in the Donetsk region, stating that swift aid delivery was crucial to Ukraine’s defense.
He urged Western allies to authorize the use of long-range missiles to strike within Russian territory, arguing that it would be vital to ending the conflict.
Both the UK and the US have thus far restricted their use to within Ukraine’s borders.
