Britain to send hundreds of new long-range attack drones to Ukraine

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - The British government announced on Monday that they will provide Ukraine with hundreds of new long-range attack drones capable of reaching over 200 kilometers (124 miles).

This announcement came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy paid a surprise visit to London to hold "substantive negotiations" with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

"This is a crucial moment in Ukraine’s resistance to a terrible war of aggression they did not choose or provoke," Sunak said in a statement.

"They need the sustained support of the international community to defend against the barrage of unrelenting and indiscriminate attacks that have been their daily reality for over a year," he underlined.

Sunak also said the UK cannot abandon Ukraine, adding it is in everyone's best interest to support Ukraine's success and prevent rewarding "Putin’s barbarism."

In the past year, the UK has provided training to 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers to enhance their readiness for the battlefield.

Additionally, in February, the country revealed plans for a new training program aimed at Ukrainian pilots, with the goal of assisting them in establishing a modern Ukrainian air force equipped with NATO-standard F16 jets.

In the upcoming month, the UK will host a Ukraine Recovery Conference aimed at mobilizing international investment to aid Ukraine's reconstruction efforts.​​​​​​​