The United Kingdom is providing 120,000 drones to Ukraine's military in what the Ministry of Defence (MoD) describes as the largest delivery of its kind, according to bbc.com.
The shipment includes long-range strike drones, reconnaissance, logistics, and maritime-capable units, many of which are produced by UK-based companies. Delivery of this technology began earlier this month.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey announced the "big boost" ahead of a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group in Berlin. He suggested that Russian President Vladimir Putin is attempting to exploit global distractions.
"With eyes on the Middle East in recent weeks, [Russian President Vladimir] Putin wants us to be distracted," Healey said, according to the report.
Healey added that the UK will continue to support Kyiv "as long as it takes to secure peace."
Financial support and ongoing strikes
In addition to hardware, UK Chancellor Rachel Reeves is expected to announce a £752m payment to Kyiv during a meeting of international finance ministers in Washington DC. This amount forms part of a wider £3.36bn loan.
"This funding will help deliver the military equipment Ukraine needs as it defends itself against Russia's unprovoked war," Reeves said, as reported by bbc.com.
The drone announcement follows reports from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who claimed Ukraine recently captured a Russian position using only ground-based and aerial drones. Zelensky also expressed concern that US peace negotiators "have no time for Ukraine" due to the conflict in the Middle East.
Russian attacks on Ukrainian territory have intensified following the end of a ceasefire intended to mark Orthodox Easter. The Sumy region's industrial zone faced three separate strikes on Monday, according to local emergency services.
Russian strikes also targeted the southern city of Odesa, causing fires near the local port. While peace talks have occurred with US mediation, the process has stalled as international focus shifts elsewhere.
