The United Kingdom (UK) has sent a group of around 30 elite troops to Ukraine to train the country’s armed forces on anti-tank weapons transferred to Kiev by London amid concerns about the escalation of the Ukrainian crisis, Sky News reported.
According to the media, members of the Ranger Regiment, which is part of the newly created army’s Special Operations Brigade, arrived in Ukraine on military flights that also delivered about 2,000 anti-tank missile launchers to the country this week.
On Monday, UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace told Parliament that the UK had decided to supply Ukraine with a batch of light-armor defensive weapons systems and that a “small number” of UK staff will travel to the country to provide initial training.
The next day, the UK minister for armed forces, James Heappey, said that “thousands” of such weapons had been airlifted to Ukraine.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that the transfer of weapons and instructors to Ukraine by the UK and Canada confirms Russia’s suspicions that the West has been preparing a provocation on the Ukrainian territory.
Western countries have recently accused Russia of a military build-up along the border with Ukraine, seeing it as a preparation for invasion. Moscow, however, denied the allegations and said that it does not intend to launch a military operation against any country. Russia also views the allegations as a pretext to deploy NATO military equipment near the country’s borders.
Earlier, the Russian embassy in London has warned that the UK government’s decision to supply Ukraine with thousands of light anti-tank weapons will only “fuel the crisis” and increase tensions at the Russian-Ukrainian border.
“It is crystal clear that UK shipment of lethal weapons to Ukraine will only fuel the crisis and increase tensions,” the embassy tweeted on Wednesday evening.
The next day, the UK minister for armed forces, James Heappey, said that “thousands” of such weapons had been airlifted to Ukraine.
Earlier as EurAsian Times reported, the UK supplied Ukraine with thousands of anti-tank missiles, UK Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey said. The next day, London said the British military had airlifted a batch of light anti-tank weapons to Ukraine for self-defense.
“The UK has played a part in helping them [Ukraine] with the preparations. We’ve sent thousands of defensive light anti-armor missiles to the Ukrainian armed forces,” Heappey told the LBC radio broadcaster.
He said there is a “grave possibility” that Russia will invade Ukraine soon, stressing that it will not go “bloodless.”
The minister noted that Ukraine was a “proud sovereign nation facing an existential threat” and standing “ready to fight for every inch of their country.”
According to reports, Ukraine was supplied with UK-Swedish-made next-generation light anti-tank weapons, NLAWs. Ukrainian media described NLAWs as single-use short-range 150mm caliber weapons suitable for urban warfare and capable of knocking out Russian tanks.
- Via Sputnik News Agency
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