It could take years for the UK to rebuild its weapons stockpile to the level before the Ukraine war, the head of the British armed forces has said.
Britain, which has become one of Ukraine’s most important allies in the country’s resistance against the Russian invasion, was the first European country to send lethal aid to Ukraine and has sent military aid worth hundreds of millions of pounds, including thousands of anti-tank missiles, air defence systems, and armoured vehicles.
Last month, the UK government pledged £1.3 billion ($1.6 billion) worth of further military support to Ukraine.
Undated photograph of Adm. Sir Tony Radakin, head of the UK armed forces. (Andrew Milligan/PA Media)
Adm. Sir Tony Radakin, who took over as chief of the defence staff in November 2021, acknowledged on June 22 that the “rate of expenditure” of weapons in Ukraine and the “industrial capacity to backfill” had already become “a significant issue.”…