British Army personnel teach members of the Ukrainian armed
The announcement was made at the Nato summit in Madrid (Picture: PA)

Ukraine will receive an extra £1 billion of military aid from the UK government to protect ‘peace and freedom’ across Europe.

Donations from Western leaders started small with anti-tank missiles after Russia launched its merciless attack in February, and have now reached nearly £30 billion.

The UK has been at the forefront of helping Volodymyr Zelensky’s defence of his country against the Russian onslaught, spending more than £2 billion.

At the Nato summit in Spain, which ends today, the UK pledged sophisticated air defence systems, drones and electronic warfare equipment.

According to officials, this would allow Ukraine to carry out offensive operations against Russian ground forces to recover lost territory.

Boris Johnson said: ‘Putin’s brutality continues to take Ukrainian lives and threaten peace and security across Europe.

‘As Putin fails to make the gains he had anticipated and hoped for and the futility of this war becomes clear to all, his attacks against the Ukrainian people are increasingly barbaric.

‘UK weapons, equipment and training are transforming Ukraine’s defences against this onslaught.

British Army personnel teach members of the Ukrainian armed forces how to operate multiple-launch rocket systems
British Army personnel teach members of the Ukrainian armed forces how to operate multiple-launch rocket systems (Picture: PA)
British Army personnel teach members of the Ukrainian armed forces
The UK has spent at least £2 billion to help Ukraine (Picture: PA)
Russian missiles hit the shopping centre on Monday
Russian missiles hit the shopping centre on Monday (Picture: Ukrainian State Emergency Service)
Russian missiles hit the shopping centre on Monday
There were at least 1,000 civilians inside at the time (Picture: Ukrainian State Emergency Service)

‘And we will continue to stand squarely behind the Ukrainian people to ensure Putin fails in Ukraine.’

The level of spending on defence has been the source of a row between No 10 and the military, with calls for extra funding for UK forces to meet the increased demands.

Nato yesterday branded Russia the biggest ‘direct threat’ to Western security and agreed plans to modernise Kyiv’s armed forces, saying it stood behind Ukrainians’ ‘heroic defence’.

The announcement comes after Russian missiles hit a shopping centre in the city of Kremenchuk on Monday.

At least 18 people were killed in the attack, which the Ukrainian prosecutor general called a ‘crime against humanity’.

Mr Zelenksy said that at least 1,000 civilians were inside at the time.

The need for extra support was underlined by Odesa MP Alex Goncharenko, who said Russia was using ‘an incredible amount of artillery and multiple rocket launch systems’ to flatten parts of his country.

‘Yes their artillery is old style, old soviet style. But it kills,’ he told reporters in Madrid.

‘They tried blitzkrieg and it failed, and now it’s scorched earth. Like the First World War, that is the reality.’

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