Rustem Umerov and John Healey discussed military assistance to Ukraine for 2025

Ukraine's Defence Minister Rustem Umerov held talks with the Secretary of State for Defence John Healey, who arrived in Kyiv for a working visit.  

The main topic of the meeting was planning military support for Ukraine in 2025. The parties analysed the assistance provided by the United Kingdom over recent years and outlined key areas for further collaboration.

The priorities include strengthening Ukraine's air defence: supplying additional air defence and missile defence systems, along with their ammunition, as well as ensuring the uninterrupted supply of artillery shells.

Another key topic was the joint production of air defence systems as part of defence projects. “We discussed opportunities to fund such initiatives, particularly using proceeds from frozen russian assets, which is a vital tool for long-term enhancement of Ukraine’s defence capabilities,” Rustem Umerov said.

The prospects for the British side to equip and train two brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine were also discussed. “The United Kingdom is already playing a leading role in training the Ukrainian military, and this cooperation is set to intensify,” the Ukrainian Defence Minister emphasised.

During the talks, the British delegation was briefed on the latest updates regarding the security situation in Ukraine and the operational situation on the frontlines. Representatives of the Main Intelligence Directorate provided detailed data, while Lieutenant General Anatolii Barhylevych, Chief of the General Staff, presented an update on the situation along the front line.

The parties also discussed the results of using Storm Shadow missiles, which significantly degraded the rear positions of russian forces.

Rustem Umerov thanked the people and government of the United Kingdom, as well as John Healey, for their continued support of Ukraine: “The United Kingdom has been and continues to be a key ally of Ukraine, providing us with significant assistance.”

The meeting marked another step in reinforcing the partnership between Ukraine and the United Kingdom.