Dhaka, April 11 -- European allies of Ukraine have announced a fresh military aid package worth €21 billion (£18bn; $24bn), underlining their commitment to supporting Kyiv during what they termed "a critical year" in the ongoing war.

The pledges were made during a meeting of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG) at NATO headquarters in Brussels, where ministers from 50 nations gathered to coordinate further assistance.

The summit marked the group's 27th session and focused heavily on strengthening Ukraine's air defences, artillery capacity and drone warfare capabilities, BBC reports.

Germany is contributing over half the total with a €11bn commitment spread across four years. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius ...