The Thales missile factory in Belfast is to supply 5,000 air defence missiles to Ukraine, the Prime Minister has announced. The deal is worth up to £1.6bn and will involve recruiting 200 additional staff. Thales is a French-owned company which one of Europe's biggest arms manufacturers.

The new contract, initially valued at £1.16bn with potential extensions up to £500m, will see Thales Northern Ireland working alongside a Ukrainian industry partner.

The UK has signed a £1.6 billion deal to supply more than 5,000 air defence missiles to Ukraine that will be manufactured in Belfast. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said on Sunday that the lightweight-multirole missiles (LMM) will be made in Northern Ireland, creating 200 jobs.