Britain on Tuesday said about a decision to provide $620 million in new military supplies to Ukraine, including long-range missiles and four million rounds of ammunition, as the Ukrainian army struggles to hold back the advance of Russian forces on the eastern front of the war, AP News reports.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak discussed military aid with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and “assured him of the United Kingdom’s continued support for Ukraine’s defence against Russia’s brutal and expansionist ambitions,” Sunak’s office said in a statement.
Sunak travelled to Poland on Tuesday to meet with Prime Minister Donald Tusk and NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg for talks on further aid to Ukraine.
On the eve of the visit, the British government said Sunak would announce £500 million ($620 million, 580 million euros) worth of new British military supplies, including 400 vehicles, 60 boats, 1,600 rounds of ammunition and 4 million rounds of ammunition. The supplies will include Britain’s long-range Storm Shadow missiles, which have a range of about 150 miles (241 kilometres) and have already proven effective in combat. Downing Street said:
“President Zelensky thanked the prime minister for the UK’s continued support, saying the new military assistance would make a material difference to ordinary Ukrainians fighting on the front line to defend their country.”
However, Downing Street did not give an exact timeframe for the aid to be sent. President Zelensky pleaded for more international aid, warning that without it his country would lose the war.
The announcement came three days after the US House of Representatives approved $61bn in aid for Ukraine. The Senate is expected to vote on the package on Tuesday.
Ammunition shortages over the past six months have forced Ukrainian military commanders to ration shells, leading to the loss of Avdiivka and the advance of Russian forces to the town of Chasiv Yar, also in the eastern Donetsk region.
