Ukraine continues defence procurement reform with UK support under SADR II
The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine continues its work on defence procurement reform. An important part of these efforts is cooperation under the UK Special Defence Advisor Programme (UK SDA), SADR II.
Deputy Minister of Defence of Ukraine Mstyslav Banik discussed pressing issues of defence procurement reform at a meeting with UK Chargée d’Affaires to Ukraine Charlotte Surun and representatives of the British Embassy and the Programme.
UK Special Defence Advisor Programme: SADR II phase, budget and goals
During the meeting, the Ukrainian and British sides focused on how the Ministry of Defence is progressing in the Programme’s workstreams, as well as on the current status of the projects and the reform.
The United Kingdom is our key and reliable ally on many issues. I would especially like to thank you for all the assistance that has been and will be provided in defence procurement. I would like to note that this assistance is not only about funding but also about consultations, expert support and, often, the genuine care we feel in our daily communication.
The current phase of SADR II began on April 1 2026. The total SADR II budget is £13 million a year.
Overall, the programme aims to support the Ministry of Defence in implementing systemic defence reforms, developing institutional capabilities, and bringing the processes and mechanisms of defence sector management closer to NATO and EU standards and international best practices.
Legislation, the NATO procurement review and DOT-Chain Defence: where SADR II helps
Support for defence procurement reform is one of the Programme’s key areas. This cooperation covers a wide range of assistance, from targeted and urgent requests (such as providing generators for State Quality Assurance laboratories) to large-scale long-term projects.
The main areas include:
- improving legislation, processes and procedures: the Programme provides expert support in drafting and implementing amendments to the current legislation governing defence procurement;
- implementing the recommendations of the NATO-Ukraine Strategic Defence Procurement Review: this is the practical component, with experts helping with and coordinating the implementation of the review’s recommendations, helping set reform priorities and monitoring progress;
- digitalisation of defence procurement: partners support, including financially, the creation of a new secure electronic environment for defence procurement and the further development of the DOT-Chain Defence marketplace.
The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine highly values the consistent and effective support of its British partners, which strengthens Ukraine’s military as a whole and defence procurement in particular.
The Ministry of Defence previously reported that over a year of DOT-Chain Defence operation, the delivery time for UAVs and other equipment through this state weapons marketplace has been reduced from months to just weeks, and often even days.
