MainNews -

UK to provide additional £120m funding for Maritime Forces Coalition

The UK and Norway are also seeking a further £100 million to jointly fund hundreds of other projects. 

UK to provide additional £120m funding for Maritime Forces Coalition
Photo: State Border Guard Service

The United Kingdom is providing an additional £120 million (almost $156 million) to fund the Maritime Forces Coalition.

According to the British government's website, the country is also looking for partners with whom it can co-finance the supply of hundreds of airborne and unmanned boats, as well as surveillance radars to protect the Black Sea grain corridor.

The UK and Norway are seeking a further £100 million to jointly fund hundreds of other projects.

The funding comes as Russian attacks on Ukraine's port infrastructure in the Black Sea intensify. Over the past three months, Russians have attacked ports, civilian vessels, and grain storage facilities in southern Ukraine almost 60 times.

According to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Russia's indiscriminate attacks on ports in the Black Sea underscore that Putin is willing to put global food security at stake in his attempts to force Ukraine into submission. 

"In doing so, he is harming millions of vulnerable people across Africa, Asia and the Middle East to try and gain the upper hand in his barbaric war," Starmer said. 

The British government recalled that recent aid packages to Ukraine have already included dozens of amphibious all-terrain vehicles and raiding ships, hundreds of anti-ship missiles for coastal defence and riverine operations, and hundreds of thousands of machine guns.

Last December, the UK and Norway led a new Maritime Capabilities Coalition. Its function is to provide ships and vehicles to strengthen Ukraine's ability to operate at sea.

  • In September, the UK allocated a new aid package to Ukraine worth more than £600 million. By the end of the year, Kyiv is to receive hundreds of additional anti-aircraft missiles, tens of thousands of artillery rounds and more armoured vehicles.
  • The United Kingdom will also provide Ukraine with a £2.3 billion ($3 billion) loan guaranteed by frozen Russian funds. 
Read LB.ua news on social networks Facebook, Twitter and Telegram