UK announced largest military aid package to Ukraine: details
Фото: GettyImagеs
British Defense Minister Ben Wallace announced the most significant combat aid package up to date that his country will provide to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Rubryka writes about this with reference to The Guardian.
As part of a package of significant combat power to accelerate Ukrainian success, the UK will send a squadron of Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine.
Here's a minute of the Challenger 2 doing what it does best.
🇺🇦 #StandWithUkraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/LOGHZpeDRf
— Ministry of Defence 🇬🇧 (@DefenceHQ) January 16, 2023
Speaking in the House of Commons, Wallace said russia had "singularly failed to break the will of the Ukrainian people" and "managed to lose a significant number of generals and commanding officers."
Wallace noted that now Ukraine's allies must accelerate collective efforts to maintain economic and military pressure on the kremlin.
According to him, the new package will include
- a squadron of "Challenge 2" tanks with armored evacuation and repair vehicles,
- 8 AS90 guns, and further, their number will be increased.
In addition, the list includes:
- evacuation and repair vehicles;
- AS-90 self-propelled artillery installation;
- armored personnel carriers, including the FV432 (Bulldog);
- "dozens" of drones;
- 100 thousand artillery shells;
- 100 missile systems, including Starstreak;
- spare parts for up to 100 Ukrainian tanks and armored fighting vehicles.
"Today's package is a 'significant increase in Ukraine's capabilities.' It means they can go from resisting to expelling Russian forces from Ukrainian soil," Wallace said.
According to him, Great Britain expects another offensive of the russian military. Therefore, Ukraine's allies should accelerate their collective efforts to put economic and military pressure on russia.
At the same time, the decision on such an aid package makes Great Britain the first Western country to supply Ukrainians with main battle tanks.
Reference
Previously, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg did not rule out the possibility of supplies of heavy tanks to Ukraine by the member states of the Alliance.
Great Britain has officially confirmed that it will provide Ukraine with Challenger 2 tanks, as well as additional artillery systems.
On January 4, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the intention of Paris to transfer AMX-10 RC light-wheeled tanks to Kyiv to fight against russia's aggression.
In addition, the US hopes to deliver Bradley infantry fighting vehicles to Ukraine within weeks.
