- UK joins G7 partners in an international funding package that will back Ukraine’s nuclear safety in the face of continued Russian aggression.
- Support comes after the Prime Minister welcomed President Zelenskyy to Downing Street, calling on allies to increase pressure on Putin’s war machine.
- Russia continues to carry out hundreds of strikes on Ukrainian oil and gas facilities, including one of the largest ballistic missile attacks this week.
Britain is funding £17m in new support for repairs to the Chornobyl nuclear power plant, the Chancellor and Foreign Secretary have announced today.
The protective shelter of the plant was damaged by a Russian drone strike last year, and UK support will form part of an international programme coordinated by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, working alongside the Government of Ukraine and G7 donors.
The support will fund crucial repairs to restore the structure’s confinement and ventilation functions and protect its intended lifespan. Without repairs, corrosion risks undermining decades of international investment and creating longer-term environmental and safety risks.
Between 5 -11 October, Russia carried out more than 200 strikes on electricity infrastructure and a further 17 strikes on oil and gas facilities. This includes 6 energy attacks since President Trump announced the ceasefire on Sunday. Just this week (13 October) Russia fired one of the largest ever ballistic missile attacks - 39 in total - at Ukraine, much of which was targeted at energy infrastructure. These strikes left 600,000 civilians in Ukraine without power.
Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Healey MP said:
As the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Putin continues, our commitment to the Ukrainian people is unshakeable.
We are curtailing the war chest funding Putin so desperately wants and backing the reconstruction of Ukraine that has suffered at the hands of his barbaric attacks.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said:
Our message to Putin is clear – we stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine and will do so until they prevail. Working with our allies, we are strengthening Ukraine’s security, raising the cost of Russia’s aggression and working towards a just and lasting peace.
The UK has a long-standing record of supporting nuclear safety at Chornobyl. The UK was a founding donor to the International Chornobyl Cooperation Account (ICCA) in 2020, when it took over responsibility for safety at the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone. Our total donations to the ICCA total €8m, making the UK the third largest individual donor behind Norway and France. The new contribution will build on that record while helping Ukraine address the lasting consequences of Russia’s barbaric war.
Last week the Foreign Secretary visited Kyiv for the first time since taking office, where he announced £54 million of winter support funding, including £20 million in energy support to help keep the lights on and Ukrainian homes warm. And yesterday the Prime Minister welcomed President Zelenskyy to Downing Street as he called on allies to increase pressure on Putin’s war machine.
The UK remains steadfast in its support for Ukraine, having provided almost £25 billion in total support, including over £770 million total energy funding. Continuing to bear down on Putin’s war machine, the UK has sanctioned over 3,500 individuals, entities and ships under our Russia sanctions regime, of which over 3,300 were imposed since the full-scale invasion in 2022.