Defence Secretary statement on war in Ukraine - 17 July 2025
Source: gov.uk (2025-07-17)

Defence Secretary, John Healey MP, provided an update to the House of Commons on the war in Ukraine.

With permission, I wish to make a statement on the war in Ukraine.

Today is day 1,239 since President Putin launched his full-scale invasion and more than a decade since the Ukrainian people have known peace in their homeland.

They’ve had their homes destroyed. Lands seized. Children abducted. Loved ones killed by Putin’s forces.

Yet, the Ukrainian people still fight with remarkable determination – military and civilian alike, and almost three and a half years on, I’m proud to say this House remains united for Ukraine. And Britain remains united for Ukraine.

In fact, polling shows that we retain the strongest support for Ukraine of any European nation.

Our solidarity is grounded in our deep respect for their courage and in recognition that the defence of Europe starts in Ukraine. Because we know that if Putin prevails in Ukraine, he won’t stop with Ukraine.

Madame Deputy Speaker, let me begin by providing a battlefield update.

Russia is maintaining pressure across the whole length of the frontline, with a special focus on Sumy in the northeast, Pokrovsk in the southeast, as well as in Kursk.

Last month, Russian Ground Forces likely seized approximately 550 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory – that’s an area greater than the size of Greater Manchester.

And yet, they face continuing difficulties attempting to take fortified towns or cities, and they have not taken a significant town for months. Indeed, they’ve tried without success to seize Pokrovsk for nearly a year.

What ground they do gain is coming at great cost. Last month, the number of Russian troops killed or wounded surpassed more than a million.

This year alone, Russia has sustained 240,000 casualties.

And despite these catastrophic Russian losses, Putin’s ruthless ambitions do not appear to be waning.

Russia is escalating the high numbers of one-way attack drones launched at Ukraine: 1,900 in April, 4,000 in May, 5,000 in June, and already this month in July, 3,200.

On 9 July, a week ago today, the largest aerial strike of the war was recorded when Russia launched more than 700 attack drones in a single night.

Despite the onslaught, the Ukrainians are taking the fight to Putin, striking military targets in Russia that his people see and know about.

Spider Web, Madame Deputy Speaker, was an operation of remarkable precision and extraordinary success which dealt a fierce blow to Putin.

One year of meticulous planning, resulting in the damage of 41 long range bombers – planes which threaten not only Ukraine, but also NATO as well.

So, Madame Deputy Speaker, we must step up now our efforts on getting further military support to the frontline.

Last month – on the eve of the NATO Summit – we welcomed President Zelenskyy to No.10 Downing Street where the Prime Minister signed a UK-Ukraine agreement to share advanced battlefield capabilities and technologies.

A deal which will mean our defence industry can rapidly develop the cutting edge technologies from Ukraine and step up the production for Ukraine.

And at the NATO Summit that followed, 32 nations came together to sign a new defence and national security investment pledge to spend 5 per cent of GDP by 2035.

They came together, 32 nations, to reaffirm our commitment to Ukraine with 40 billion Euros pledged in security assistance for this year.

It was a good summit for Ukraine, it was a good summit for Britain, it was a good summit for NATO, it was a bad summit for Putin.

Those commitments at NATO have been the basis for President Trump to signal a significant shift this week on Ukraine, announcing NATO weapons transfers and a 50-day deadline for Putin to agree to peace.

So with the NATO Secretary-General, President Trump agreed to largescale purchases of US military equipment by NATO allies, including Patriot missiles, other air defence systems and munitions, which he committed to getting – and I quote: “quickly distributed to the battlefield”.

Madame Deputy Speaker, the UK backs the scheme – we plan to play our full part – and on Monday we will discuss this further when I chair the next meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group – alongside my German counterpart, Minister Boris Pistorius.

That group – the contact group – continues as the forum for more than 50 nations to provide Ukraine with what it needs to fight back Putin’s war machine and I am pleased to confirm that Monday’s meeting will be attended by US Secretary Hegseth, the NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, and SACEUR, General Grynkewich.

Britain is providing more than £4.5bn in military aid to Ukraine this year – more than ever before.

And at the UDCG, I will provide the following updates:

First, on the Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration scheme, two-thirds of the UK’s ERA total of £2.26 billion commitment has now been disbursed, including £700m on artillery shells, long-range rockets, and air defence missiles, exactly what Ukraine needs most.

Second, on drones. Since March, the UK has supplied nearly 50 000 drones to Ukraine helping meet our commitment to increase tenfold our supply this year.

Third, on air defence, the UK and Germany have agreed to partner in providing critical air defence missiles to Ukraine.

And fourth, on the NATO Comprehensive Assistance Package, the UK will donate a further £40m, which Ukraine can use on a range of programmes from demining to rehabilitating their wounded.

Madame Deputy Speaker, it is now four months since President Zelenskyy responded to President Trump’s peace negotiations with Ukraine’s full commitment to an unconditional ceasefire.

President Putin has shown no such interest in an end to the fighting.

Madame Deputy Speaker, peace in Ukraine is possible, and we must be ready for when this peace comes.

So since March, the UK and France have led the Coalition of the Willing on planning new security arrangements to support Ukraine in any ceasefire.

More than 200 military planners from 30 nations have worked intensively for weeks, with Ukraine and including reconnaissance in Ukraine, led by UK personnel.

Last week at the Summit, President Macron and Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that this initial phase of detailed military planning has concluded.

And I can confirm that the military command and control structures have now been agreed for a future ‘Multinational Force Ukraine’.

The Force’s mission will be to strengthen Ukraine’s defences on the land, at sea, and in the air because the Ukrainian Armed Forces are the best deterrent against future Russian aggression.

It will include a 3-star multi-national command headquarters in Paris, rotating to London after 12 months.

And when the force deploys, there will be a coordination headquarters in Kyiv, headed by a UK 2-star military officer.

It will regenerate land forces by providing logistics, armament and training experts.

It will secure Ukraine’s skies by using aircraft to deliver levels of support similar to that for NATO’s Air Policing mission.

And it will support safer seas by bolstering the Black Sea Task Force with additional specialist teams.

When peace comes, we will be ready.

When peace comes, we will play our part in securing it for the long term.

And next month on 24 August, Ukrainians will gather to celebrate their Independence Day.

For another year, the anniversary of Ukraine’s liberation will be marked under the pain of occupation.

Whatever else commands the world’s attention, we must never lose sight of this war, we must never lose sight of Putin’s brutal, illegal invasion of this proud and sovereign nation.

And we must never forget the price Ukraine is paying, fighting for its own freedom – and the security of all free nations, including our own.

Madame Deputy Speaker, the UK will stand with the Ukrainian people: today, tomorrow, the day after, and for as long it takes for Ukraine to prevail.