UK to deliver armored vehicles to Ukraine

By Muhammad Mussa

LONDON (AA) - The British government is drawing up plans to send armored military vehicles to Ukraine to aid the embattled government in its war with Russia.

In the coming weeks, the Ministry of Defense will transfer armored patrol vehicles such as the Mastiff and Jackal which can be used in reconnaissance missions and enable Ukrainian forces to push deeper into Russian defenses.

"The next three weeks will be critical. The Ukrainians have already partly won. They have exhausted the Russian army, won the battle of occupation and condemned Putin to eternal isolation. Can they push back the Russian army? Can they break the Russian army? Possibly. Depends on what help we can all give," The Times newspaper reported, citing a ministry statement issued on Thursday.

The vehicles, however, will be stripped of any sensitive or classified equipment, and British troops will accompany them to a country neighboring Ukraine where they will train Ukrainian soldiers on how to operate the vehicles.

Meanwhile, UK Defense Minister James Heappey hosted a Ukrainian government delegation, including Deputy Defence Minister Volodymyr Havrylov, on Thursday during military drills at Salisbury Plain Training Area in England.

The officials observed British weaponry in action and discussed further UK military support to Kyiv.

"Ukraine's Armed Forces continue to put up a tenacious fight against the illegal and unprovoked invasion by Putin's forces. We're proud that they're doing so with weapons provided by and through the United Kingdom," Heappey said in a statement.

"But, the Ukrainian job is far from done and the prime minister has directed that the UK provides even more in support of this next phase of the conflict. It was an honor to show Minister Havrylov and his generals the kit the UK hopes to provide next and to discuss some new weapons that have been trialed recently with UK forces," he added.

Havrylov and senior Ukrainian military officers held talks with British military chiefs on the challenges Ukrainian forces face on the ground and to ensure that all military aid is efficiently integrated into Kyiv's military infrastructure.

The Kyiv delegation observed drills conducted by the British Army's 3rd Division and Royal Marines and analyzed a range of equipment, including defensive missile systems and protected mobility vehicles.

"The UK has been clear of our support for Ukraine's defense against Russia's invasion," Defense Procurement Minister Jeremy Quin said.

"We are exploring options for future military support, including working with the UK defense industry and our Ukrainian counterparts into the longer term to ensure the equipment supplied continues to be both effective and sustainable for their heroic armed forces," he added.