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Qabil Ashirov

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The United Kingdom will allocate £200 million to prepare British troops for potential deployment to Ukraine once the war with Russia ends, Defence Secretary John Healey announced on Saturday.

In a video message posted on X, Healey said the funding would ensure that British forces are ready to deploy from day one in the event of a peace agreement. The investment will focus on modernising military vehicles and communications systems, strengthening drone defence capabilities, and upgrading essential equipment.

“Today I am confirming we are committed £200 million to prepare British troops in the event of a peace deal, to be able to start deploying from day one,” Healey said.

As part of the initiative, the UK will also begin manufacturing new drone interceptors in Britain this month to counter Iranian-made Shahed drones used by Russia. Healey said the programme combines Ukrainian intellectual property with modern British manufacturing techniques to enable mass production.

“We will manufacture them at scale and get them back into Ukraine—thousands per month,” he said, adding that the move would help Ukraine both remain operational during the conflict and secure long-term peace.

On Friday, Healey also announced the launch of production of Octopus drones, designed to intercept Russian drones targeting civilian infrastructure. According to the Defence Ministry, each Octopus drone costs roughly 10 percent of the price of the drones it is designed to destroy, allowing for cost-effective large-scale deployment.

The announcements underline Britain’s continued military support for Ukraine, while signalling preparations for a post-war security role should a peace settlement be reached.