£200m allocated for UK armed forces deployment to Ukraine

The authorities has allocated £200m of funding to hole the UK's equipped forces to beryllium deployed to Ukraine successful the lawsuit of a bid deal.

The money, announced by Defence Secretary John Healey during a sojourn to Ukraine connected Friday, volition present caller vehicles, communications and counter-drone extortion to guarantee troops are acceptable if required.

The authorities said this volition equip UK forces to unafraid Ukraine's aboriginal and reenforce semipermanent information guarantees, arsenic portion of a Multinational Force for Ukraine (MNFU).

It follows the declaration of intent signed by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, French President Emmanuel Macron and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy successful Paris this week, which confirmed UK and French troops will deploy to Ukraine successful the lawsuit of a bid agreement.

Mr Healey said: "As we attack the 5th twelvemonth of Putin's full-scale invasion, the Ukrainians proceed to combat with immense courageousness - civilians and subject alike.

"We are surging concern into our preparations pursuing the premier minister's announcement this week, ensuring that Britain's equipped forces are acceptable to deploy, and lead, the Multinational Force Ukraine, due to the fact that a unafraid Ukraine means a unafraid UK.

"As we look towards a imaginable bid deal, we proceed to measurement up for Ukraine successful the combat contiguous - strengthening its aerial defences portion backing British industry, jobs and innovation astatine home."

The wealth is being funded from the government's halfway defence budget. Sir Keir said this week that MPs will get a ballot earlier troops are sent to Ukraine.

The thought for a associated peacekeeping unit was archetypal floated past year, aft Sir Keir and Mr Macron formed a coalition of the willing.

Read much from Sky News:
Pope slams however nations usage unit to asseverate dominion
What we cognize astir Russian hypersonic missile

Mr Healey discussed further details of the subject plans for the MNFU with Mr Zelenskyy during the sojourn to the war-hit state connected Friday.

During those meetings, Mr Healey besides confirmed that accumulation of British-built Octopus interceptor drones volition statesman this month, which the authorities said would boost Ukraine's quality to support itself against Russian drone attacks connected civilians and captious infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Russia fired a hypersonic rocket overnight astatine a people successful Ukraine adjacent the borderline with NATO-member Poland.

The Oreshnik deed Ukraine's occidental Lviv region, though officials determination did not notation immoderate casualties.

Kyiv's European allies said the onslaught was an effort to intimidate them from supporting President Zelenskyy.

It was lone the ​second clip that Russia has fired the Oreshnik astatine Ukraine.