The United Kingdom is shipping its first long-range missiles to Ukraine, the defence secretary has stated, in spite of the threat from Russia to the West.
Ben Wallace stated the M270 multiple-launch rocket system would help Ukraine defend itself against Russia.
The decision comes after the US has made an announcement last week it was also supplying a rocket system.
The move by the United States to send its own M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket System (HIMARS) has already angered Moscow, and on Sunday, Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to expand the list of targets Russia will attack in Ukraine if Western nations send long-range weapons to Kyiv.
The government of the UK has announced that the Ukraine military will get training in the UK in the coming weeks on how to use the launchers.
The multiple-launch rocket system can fire 12 surface-to-surface missiles within a minute and can strike targets within 50 miles (80km) with pinpoint accuracy – far further than the artillery Ukraine currently possesses.
Wallace added that UK was taking a lead role in supplying Ukrainian troops with the “vital weapons they need to defend their nation from unprovoked invasion.”
He said, “As Russia’s tactics change, so must our support to Ukraine. These highly capable multi-launch rocket systems will enable our Ukrainian friends to better protect themselves against the brutal use of long-range artillery, which Putin’s forces have used indiscriminately to flatten cities.”