UK to allocate $155 million for naval coalition to protect Ukraine's ports
London will donate an additional 120 million pounds ($155 million) to the Maritime Capability Coalition to support Ukraine's Navy, the U.K. government announced on Oct. 22.
The move comes as a response to Russia stepping up attacks against port infrastructure in southern Odesa Oblast that resulted in damaged civilian ships and casualties.
"Russia's indiscriminate strikes on ports in the Black Sea underscore that (Russian President Vladimir) Putin is willing to gamble on global food security in his attempts to force Ukraine into submission," U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.
The British government accused Russia of threatening global food security, including humanitarian supplies to war-stricken Palestine, just as some Global South leaders gather in the Russian city of Kazan for the BRICS summit.
The U.K. is looking for partners to co-finance the supply of "hundreds" more naval drones as well as surveillance radars to protect Ukraine's grain corridor.
London and Oslo are also seeking a further 100 million pounds ($129 million) to co-fund hundreds more.
As part of the naval coalition, Ukraine has received dozens of amphibious all-terrain vehicles and raiding boats, hundreds of anti-ship missiles, and hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition, according to the statement.
Over the past three months, Russia has carried out nearly 60 attacks on Ukrainian ports, damaging or destroying nearly 300 port infrastructure facilities and 22 civilian vessels, said on Oct. 10 Oleksii Kuleba, the minister for the development of communities, territories, and infrastructure.
Over 80 civilians were killed or injured as a result of these strikes.
Kateryna Denisova
