British Defence Minister John Healey confirmed on Thursday that plans for the alleged Multinational Forces in Ukraine are ready and Britain and France will lead the formation of the chain of command. He added that already this year, London has given Kiev military aid worth £2.26 billion.
The head of the ministry during his speech to the home of Commons revealed that more than 200 military planners from 30 countries are presently finishing the first phase of work on Ukraine's support strategy after the ceasefire. – Military command and control structures for future Multinational Forces in Ukraine have already been agreed – he said.
Healey mentioned that the command would include "a three-star office in Paris, which would decision to London after 12 months, and a coordination centre in Kiev, which would be commanded by a British two-star officer". These forces are to focus on upgrading Ukrainian land troops, supporting air patrols and ensuring safety in the Black Sea.
– When peace comes, we'll be ready. erstwhile peace comes, we will play our part in keeping it in the long run. – he said.
Healey informed parliamentarians that Russian forces occupied over 550 square kilometers of territory in June Ukraine comparing this to an area larger than the metropolitan region of large Manchester. At the same time, the Minister stressed that Ukrainian forces proceed to attack profoundly in Russia, recalling the fresh drone attack under Operation Spider. – A year of meticulous planning led to the demolition of 41 long-range bombers, or aircraft that threatened not only Ukraine but besides NATO – he said.
The politician defined the losses suffered by Moscow as “catastrophic”, stating that more than 1 million Russian soldiers had been killed or injured since the start of the full-scale invasion in February 2022, including around 240 1000 since the beginning of that year.
In his speech he recalled that only in July the Russian military attacked Ukrainian targets with over 3200 drones, with about 5,000 in June and 4,000 in May.
– A week ago, on July 9, the largest air strike in the war was reported; Russia launched over 700 assault drones in 1 night – he added.
The Minister noted that the United Kingdom will supply more than £4.5 billion worth of military aid to Ukraine this year, of which £2.26 billion equipment has already been delivered. In addition, in 2025, in cooperation with Germany, she delivered anti-aircraft missiles to the Ukrainian army, and since March additionally nearly 50,000 drones. Another 40 million pounds will be donated by the United Kingdom of Ukraine as part of the NATO alliance.
Source: PAP / Marta Zabłocka, London
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