Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense reported that newly appointed UK Defense Secretary Wes Streeting held his first conversation with Ukraine’s Acting Minister of Defense Yevhen Khmara. Coincidentally, both officials were appointed to their positions five days ago as part of government reshuffles in their respective countries.
The main focus of the discussion was strengthening Ukraine’s air defense. A year ago, Russia fired 28 ballistic missiles in a month at Ukraine. Now it’s firing three times that number amid a limited supply of Patriot interceptors following the US war against Iran. Moscow has also begun using dangerous jet-powered Banderol drones.
According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense, Ukraine and the UK are building a long-term and mutually beneficial defense partnership.
Key areas of cooperation include strengthening Ukraine’s air defense, supporting its air capabilities, countering Russian drones, and procuring Ukrainian-made unmanned systems for the Defense Forces.
"We are ready to share our experience of modern war and solutions that have already proven effective on the battlefield," Khmara said.
Pushing Russian aircraft away from Ukraine’s borders
To strengthen its air defense capabilities, Ukraine is counting on British support for a project to supply Gripen fighter jets and Meteor missiles. This would be important for countering Russian aircraft and protecting Ukrainians from aerial attacks.
The combination of Gripen aircraft and Meteor missiles would allow Ukraine to push back Russian aircraft that launch guided glide bombs (KABs) at Ukrainian positions from just behind the front line.
Russian fighter-bombers carrying KABs have heavily targeted Ukrainian frontline positions throughout the war, typically launching these weapons from within Russian airspace beyond the reach of Ukrainian air defense systems. Currently, Ukraine does not have a systematic capability to counter these aircraft.
It is also critically important to continue supplying ammunition for Ukraine’s F-16 aircraft. One of the tasks set by the President of Ukraine is to protect the grain corridor from Russian attacks. Achieving this requires strong air capabilities.
Countering Russia’s new generation of strike drones
Another key focus of the discussion was countering Russian attack drones. Russia is increasing its use of jet-powered Shahed-type drones, including systems such as Banderol.
These drones reportedly have a cruising speed of 520–560 km/h, a maximum speed of up to 650 km/h, a range of up to 500 km, and carry a 114.3 kg fragmentation high-explosive warhead.
The sides also discussed procuring Ukrainian-made drones for the Defense Forces through the ERA Loan mechanism, financed by revenues from frozen Russian assets.
The planned procurements include interceptor drones, medium-range strike drones, and deep-strike systems.
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