Britain arms Ukraine with frozen Russian assets for first time

The United Kingdom for the first time says it is ready to provide Ukraine with a military aid package funded by interest earned from frozen Russian assets, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced, according to the London-based The Guardian newspaper.

The package is valued at £70 million (approximately $96 million) and includes 350 advanced air defense missiles that the UK produced and adapted for ground launch in just three months. These projectiles will be deployed alongside Raven air defense systems. Five new Raven systems are already enroute, increasing the total in Ukraine to 13.

“Russia, not Ukraine, should pay the price for Putin’s barbaric and illegal war, so it is only right we use the proceeds from seized Russian assets to ensure Ukraine has the air defence it needs,” Starmer said at the NATO summit in The Hague.

The Guardian reported that this is the first time London has used Russia-related funds to finance weapons for Kyiv.

UK Defense Secretary John Healey stated that the life-saving potential of these missiles proves Britain’s military and industrial base can swiftly adapt to the demands of modern warfare.

This aid package is part of the UK’s largest yearly support package to Ukraine, totaling £4.5 billion ($6.1 billion).