Ukraine-Russia war: UK agrees to supply more weaponson March 9, 2022 at 2:13 pm

The UK is increasing its supply of weapons to Ukraine to help it defend itself against Russian attack, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said.

Before the invasion, Britain delivered 2,000 light anti-tank missiles and is now sending another 1,615.

Mr Wallace told MPs the UK would also deliver a small consignment of longer range Javelin missiles and was looking at sending surface-to-air missiles.

Small arms, body armour and medical supplies have also been sent, he added.

The UK has said it is helping “facilitate” the deliveries of these weapons but Western officials are not giving details of how the supplies are getting through.

There is some evidence that weapons supplied by the UK have already been used to destroy Russian armour.

Speaking in the Commons, Mr Wallace said the Russians were “changing their tactics and so the Ukrainians need to too”.

In response to a request from Ukraine, he said the government was exploring the possibility of sending high-velocity Starstreak manned portable anti-air missiles.

“We believe that this system will remain within the definition of defensive weapons but will allow the Ukrainian force to better defend their skies,” he added.

He stressed the government was “bound by the decision to supply defensive systems” and not escalate the war.

The UK is not alone in sending weapons to Ukraine, but most countries only started to send weapons in response to the Russian invasion, which began on 24 February.

In all, 14 nations have supplied arms, including Sweden and Finland which both have a long history of neutrality and are not Nato members. They have both sent thousands of anti-tank weapons.

Germany has supplied 1,000 anti-tank weapons and 500 US-made Stinger missiles, a scourge of Soviet aircraft during its occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s.

The Baltic states have also delivered thousands of weapons including Stingers and Javelin missiles, one of the world’s most effective anti-tank weapons with a range of 2.5km (1.5 miles).