Great Britain transferred hundreds of LMM anti-aircraft missiles to Ukraine almost half a year earlier than planned
The UK Ministry of Defence has announced the early delivery of hundreds of air defence missiles to Ukraine, five months ahead of schedule, the government said in a press release.
The missiles were manufactured at a factory in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and are part of a British donation program. They are lightweight multi-purpose missiles (LMMs), which have been used to defend Ukrainian airspace since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.
The LMM (Martlet) is a British-made Lightweight Multirole Missile designed to engage UAVs, helicopters, light vessels and armoured vehicles. It is 1.3 m long, weighs only 13 kg, has laser and infrared guidance systems, a range of up to 8 km and is effective thanks to a 3 kg fragmentation warhead with a non-contact fuse.
The missile can be launched from ground-based launchers (MANPADS, Stormer HVM or RapidRanger SAMs), as well as from air (helicopters) or sea (warships).
It was previously reported that the Ukrainian government plans to purchase British Rapid Ranger air defense systems, as well as LMM missiles for them for almost $2.3 billion, raised in the United Kingdom.
The supply of these missiles was part of a large-scale program of military aid to Kyiv from the UK. In 2025, London allocated 4.5 billion pounds sterling to support Ukraine - the largest amount of aid ever provided to a foreign country by the UK.
The cooperation between Ukraine and the UK is also being strengthened by the fact that the largest drone manufacturer in Ukraine, Ukrspecsystems, has announced an investment project in East Anglia worth £200 million. The plan involves the construction of an 11,000 m² factory and the creation of a testing and training center. This investment will ensure the creation of 500 highly skilled jobs and contribute to economic growth in the UK.
It also became known before that the United Kingdom and Ukraine had agreed to launch joint defense projects, including the production of interceptor drones and glide bombs.