Britain confirms repair bases for Ukrainian Armed Forces equipment in Ukraine for the first time

This was reported by the British Ministry of Defence. For the

first time, the UK has officially disclosed information about its capabilities in the maintenance, repair and overhaul of military equipment in Ukraine. This refers to the maintenance, repair and overhaul facilities, or MRO. Four such facilities are already in operation, with another in the planning stage.

These sites operate under contracts with the British Ministry of Defence and are run by British companies that employ both British and Ukrainian specialists. These bases repair armoured vehicles and equipment, including CVR-T armoured vehicles, Husky support vehicles, L119 light guns, and Soviet-style equipment transferred by the UK.

The British Ministry of Defence has specified that these facilities service all AS-90 artillery systems that London has transferred to Ukraine. In addition, thanks to cooperation with Swedish partners, they can also maintain Swedish Archer artillery systems.

London noted that it has been working on the creation of such engineering sites in Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The location of these facilities directly on Ukrainian territory makes it possible to repair damaged equipment more quickly and return it to the Ukrainian military more efficiently.

The British Ministry of Defence also emphasised that this model not only strengthens the capabilities of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, but also creates highly skilled and well-paid jobs for Ukrainians.

British engineers are already working in Ukraine alongside their Ukrainian colleagues, servicing and repairing military equipment. Minister for Defence Readiness and Defence Industry Luke Pollard visited one of these sites in Ukraine this week and spoke with workers involved in returning combat vehicles to the front line.

Pollard said that despite the international focus on the conflict in the Middle East, the UK continues to strongly support Ukraine. According to him, from the factory floor to the front line, Britain stands shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine, and these sites help the Ukrainian military remain in service amid Russian attacks.

During his visit, Pollard also led the seventh trade mission to Ukraine. It was the largest such mission to date. It involved five international partners, over 80 delegates and 55 companies, including a record 35 British firms.

This trade mission was organised by the ADS Group, an industry association of British aerospace, defence, security and space companies. During his visit, the British minister also met with Ukrainian colleagues and leaders of British and international defence companies in Kyiv.

Separately, the parties signed an agreement on a new project within the Programme Lyra. This is a British-Ukrainian technology exchange, which was agreed upon by the British Prime Minister and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in June 2025.

Another agreement provides for cooperation between the UK and Ukraine in the field of sophisticated British electronic warfare technologies. These are planned to be combined with Ukrainian platforms to strengthen Ukraine's military capabilities.

The British Ministry of Defence also stated that this trade mission marks Britain's transition to a permanent presence to support British business in Ukraine. Estonia, Finland, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden have joined the mission.

The ministry noted that discussions during the mission focused, in particular, on domestic investment and the mobilisation of private capital to further support Ukraine. London emphasises that previous trade missions have already helped to deepen ties between British and Ukrainian companies, conclude contracts and promote the development of sovereign production in Ukraine.

Separately, it is reported that this momentum should be supported by the opening of a new British Business Centre in Kyiv.

Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, the UK has pledged over £21.8 billion in aid to Ukraine. London emphasises that this makes the country one of Ukraine's largest bilateral donors.