UK to open Kyiv defence hub as it ramps up military, energy and troop support for Ukraine
UK to open defence industry hub in Kyiv as Britain boosts military, energy and troop support for Ukraine.
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MoD
Britain will open a new defence industry business centre in Kyiv later this year to help UK companies supply Ukraine’s Armed Forces, as the government steps up military, economic and humanitarian support amid intensifying Russian attacks. The centre, backed by three years of UK government funding, is intended to cut through the practical barriers that have made it difficult for smaller British firms to operate in Ukraine, including security risks, insurance costs and travel restrictions. Ministers say it will allow UK defence innovators of all sizes to deliver equipment Ukraine needs at speed, while supporting skilled jobs at home.The announcement comes as the UK and Ukraine mark the first anniversary of their 100-Year Partnership and as the war approaches the end of its fourth year.Defence Secretary John Healey said the hub would strengthen frontline capability while embedding lessons from the battlefield into British industry.“An Armed Forces is only as strong as the industry that stands behind them,” he said. “This new centre will supercharge that effort and ensure British companies, no matter how small, can support Ukraine in the fight today and help secure the peace we hope to see tomorrow.”The centre will be led by the Ministry of Defence’s National Armaments Director Group and follows the publication of the government’s Defence Industrial Strategy, which aims to make defence a driver of economic growth across the UK.Read more: Europe must call Russia’s bluff; it is time for a No-Fly Zone over UkraineRead more: Armed Forces to launch 'gap year' for youngsters to gain military experienceUK and Ukrainian firms are already working closely together. Production is due to begin this month on British-built Octopus interceptor drones, designed to shoot down Russian Shahed drones and other airborne threats attacking civilians and critical infrastructure. The UK expects to produce thousands of the drones each month, with each Octopus costing around a tenth of the systems it is designed to intercept.The defence industry push comes alongside a fresh £20 million package to support Ukraine’s battered energy infrastructure, taking total UK support for the sector to more than £470 million. The funding will be used to repair and protect energy supplies and keep heating on in homes during harsh winter conditions, following repeated Russian strikes on power stations and grids.Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the partnership with Ukraine represented a direct rebuke to Russia’s war aims.“Our 100-year partnership with Ukraine stands for everything Putin is trying to destroy, bringing hope, opportunity and greater security to both our countries,” he said. “The people of Ukraine should be in no doubt, we will stand with you today, tomorrow and for the next 100 years.”The UK is also expanding its school twinning programme to another 300 schools in both countries over the next three years, part of a broader effort to deepen long-term ties beyond defence.Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the latest funding would help protect civilians. “Our ongoing support for energy security and resilience will help to keep the lights on and Ukrainian homes warm when vulnerable people need it most,” she said.Meanwhile, Mr Healey has announced that the UK will spend a further £200 million preparing British troops for possible deployment to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire. The funding will pay for upgrades to vehicles and communications systems, counter-drone protection and other equipment as part of preparations to lead a proposed Multinational Force Ukraine.Speaking after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv, Mr Healey said: “We are surging investment into our preparations, ensuring Britain’s armed forces are ready to deploy and lead the Multinational Force Ukraine, because a secure Ukraine means a secure UK.”President Zelensky said he was “grateful” for the UK’s support, adding that any framework for ending the war must include a clear response if Russian aggression is repeated.Details of the proposed western force have not been confirmed, with ministers declining to give numbers. Mr Healey told MPs that setting out specifics would “only make Putin wiser”.The latest announcements follow one of Russia’s largest aerial assaults in recent months, which saw more than 200 drones and 20 missiles launched at Ukraine, according to British Defence Intelligence. The strikes hit civilian targets and energy infrastructure and included the use of an experimental hypersonic Oreshnik missile fired from deep inside Russian territory.Defence Intelligence said Moscow was likely to possess only a small number of the costly missiles and that their use was “almost certainly intended as strategic messaging”.Against that backdrop, ministers say the new Kyiv business centre will play a critical role. Based in secure facilities, it will provide an export and matching service to link UK firms with Ukraine’s urgent military requirements, while sharing real-time battlefield data so innovations can be tested, adapted and fielded in weeks rather than months.
