Russian Embassy in London says sending British tanks to Ukraine aim to 'protract conflict'

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Deliveries of British Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine further the UK’s aim of protracting the conflict, said the Russian Embassy in London on Saturday.

"The supplies of tanks will not bring the end of hostilities any closer, but will contribute to their toughening, provoking more and more victims, including among the civilian population," the embassy told Russia’s state-run news agency TASS.

The embassy called the deliveries "more evidence of British authorities' disregard for the lives of ordinary Ukrainians" and "increasing involvement in the conflict."

The tank deliveries “correspond to London's line of prolonging the confrontation, which is confirmed by the belligerent official rhetoric and diligent ignoring of the idea of a negotiated settlement repeatedly voiced by the Russian side,” it argued.

"As for the Challenger 2 tanks, they are unlikely to help the AFU (armed forces of Ukraine) change the situation on the battlefield, but they will become a legitimate major target for Russian guns," the embassy said.

On Saturday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in a conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, promised to supply to Kyiv Challenger 2 tanks and new artillery systems.