Sunak Promises UK Largest-Ever Aid Package Worth $617Mln for Ukraine - Reports

MOSCOW, (Sputnik) - UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has promised the United Kingdom's largest-ever military support package for Ukraine worth 500 million pounds ($617 million), as well as 400 vehicles, over a thousand weapons and millions of rounds of ammunition, The Guardian has reported.

The report said on Monday that London plans to provide Kiev with 400 vehicles, including 60 boats offshore raiding craft and dive boats, 160 Husky Tactical Support Vehicles and 162 armored vehicles, 1,600 strike and air defence missiles, and nearly 4 million rounds of small arms ammunition, as well as 500 million pounds in military funding, bringing the UK's total aid to Ukraine to 3 billion pounds this financial year.

The report cited officials as saying that the 500 million pound aid package would come from the reserves of the country's Exchequer and would be used to deliver ammunition, air defenses, UK-built drones and engineering support to Ukraine's frontline.

Western countries, including the UK, have been providing military and financial aid to Kiev since the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022. The Kremlin has consistently warned against continued arms deliveries to Kiev, saying it would lead to further escalation of the conflict.

In April 2022, Russia sent a diplomatic note to all NATO countries on the issue of arms supplies to Ukraine. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov warned that any cargo containing weapons for Ukraine would become a legitimate target for Russia.