UK announces £100 million winter air defense package for Ukraine, including Patriot missiles
The United Kingdom will provide Ukraine with a £100 million ($135 million) winter defense package that includes Patriot air defense missiles, the British government told European Pravda.
The package will include air defense interceptors, large-caliber artillery ammunition, and drones aimed at helping Ukraine withstand Russian attacks during the coming winter.
The weapons will be supplied through the Prioritized Ukraine Requirements List (PURL), a mechanism through which Ukraine's allies jointly fund purchases of U.S.-made weapons.
Patriot missiles and other air defense equipment are expected to arrive before winter to help protect Ukraine's critical infrastructure, civilians, and armed forces from Russian attacks.
UK Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said the package followed recent visits by him and Prime Minister Keir Starmer to Kyiv, where President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed Ukraine's need for additional support ahead of winter.
"Both the prime minister and I came away from our first visits to Kyiv with a clear understanding of just how important it is to support Ukraine through this winter, as Putin prepares to weaponize winter by continuing his barbaric attacks on civilian and energy infrastructure," Streeting said.
The announcement comes as Ukraine faces a shortage of air defense interceptors. Zelenskyy said earlier this year that Ukraine had received three times fewer missiles capable of defending against ballistic threats than in 2025, with partners citing fighting in the Middle East as the reason.
More recently, Zelenskyy said Ukraine had received a small batch of Patriot missiles, as well as commitments for several Crotale air defense systems and accompanying missiles.
The new British package was announced on the day of the 36th meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, which Streeting is co-chairing with his German counterpart.