- UK to provide 350 ASRAAM air defence missiles using £70m of funding raised from the interest on seized Russian assets
- The new package of missiles can be used with UK-provided air defence launchers, helping to protect Ukrainian citizens from Russian missile and drone attacks
- Comes as the Prime Minister and Defence Secretary visit The Hague for an annual summit of NATO leaders, with de-escalation in the Middle East and support for Ukraine topping the agenda
The UK will boost Ukraine’s air defence with 350 missiles using funds from seized Russian assets, helping to protect Ukrainians from Putin’s attacks.
The ASRAAM missiles can be fired using the RAVEN Ground Based Air Defence System supplied by the UK to Ukraine, with five more RAVEN systems due for imminent delivery, bringing the total to 13.
Initially used as air-to-air missiles fired from fighter jets, RAF engineers adapted ASRAAM in just three months to be launched from the back of a UK designed and built truck, working with a British defence industry team from MBDA UK, based in Bolton.
The UK, together with allies, is stepping up its support for Ukraine – providing £4.5 billion of military support this year – more than ever before. This support is vital to European security but is also supporting economic growth across the UK, supporting the Prime Minister’s Plan for Change and delivering a defence dividend across the UK.
The missiles will be funded using £70m worth of interest generated from seized Russian assets under the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration (ERA) scheme.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said
“Russia, not Ukraine, should pay the price for Putin’s barbaric and illegal war, so it is only right we use the proceeds from seized Russian assets to ensure Ukraine has the air defence it needs.
“The security of Ukraine is vital to the security of the UK and the Euro-Atlantic area, and our support will never waiver.
“My message to President Putin is clear Russia needs to stop its indiscriminate attacks on innocent Ukrainian people and return to the negotiating table.”
It comes as the Prime Minister, Defence Secretary and Foreign Secretary join NATO leaders for the Alliance’s annual summit in the Hague, where they will meet counterparts to discuss de-escalation efforts in the Middle East, as well as further military support for Ukraine.
Defence Secretary John Healey MP said
“Ukrainians are continuing to fight with huge courage – civilians and military alike. I am committed to ensuring Ukraine has the support they need to put them in the strongest possible position to secure peace.
“Russia’s indiscriminate missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian cities show that Putin is not serious about peace, and it’s right that we use funds from seized Russian assets to help Ukraine defend itself from this onslaught.
“These air defence missiles will save Ukrainian lives, using equipment developed jointly by British military engineers and our defence industry – showing how we are delivering on our Strategic Defence Review’s commitment to learn lessons from Ukraine.”
In March, the Prime Minister announced a historic £1.6 billion deal to provide more than five thousand air defence missiles for Ukraine – creating 200 new jobs and supporting a further 700. Defence supports more than 434,000 skilled jobs in the UK.
The UK will also invest a record £350m this year to increase the supply of drones to Ukraine from a target of 10,000 in 2024 to 100,000 in 2025.
The UK has sent around 400 different capabilities to Ukraine, with a £150 million package including drones, tanks and air defence systems announced on 12 February 2025, a £225 million package including drones, boats and munitions announced on 19 December 2024, and 650 lightweight multirole missiles announced on 6 September 2024.
The UK is absolutely committed to securing a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and are engaging with key allies in support of this effort.
