Britain intensifying military support to Ukraine with new aid package: official

KYIV -- Britain is intensifying its military support to Ukraine with a new aid package that includes naval drones, air defense systems and artillery, British Defense Secretary John Healey said Wednesday.

Training for Ukrainian soldiers under Operation Interflex, a Britain-led multinational military operation, will continue in 2025 regardless of the developments in Ukraine's peace process and a possible ceasefire, Healey said in an interview with the Ukrainian state Ukrinform news agency.

However, he said it is too early to publicly discuss the possibility of British support for deploying an international peacekeeping force in Ukraine.

Healey arrived in Kyiv earlier in the day, local media reported.

On the same day, Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov wrote on Facebook that he had talked with Healey about strengthening Ukraine's air defense, ensuring an uninterrupted supply of artillery ammunition, and exploring joint defense projects.

A key topic was the co-production of air defense systems, he said, adding that the discussions also covered the use of Storm Shadow missiles, and equipping and training new brigades of the Ukrainian army.