Hundreds more UK drones and missiles being sent to Ukraine

MoD says arms will boost Kyiv's ability to defend against Putin's 'indiscriminate' use of artillery

Javelin anti-tank weapons are loaded on to a military plane and are among the latest haul of arms to be sent from Britain to Ukraine. PA

Hundreds more drones and anti-tank weapons are being sent to Ukraine, the British Ministry of Defence said on Thursday.

The latest shipment includes artillery guns, counter-battery radar systems and more than 50,000 rounds of ammunition.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the weaponry would help bolster Ukraine's ability to defend against Russian President Vladimir Putin's “indiscriminate” use of artillery.

“The scale and range of equipment we are providing demonstrates the strength of our resolve,” he said.

“Together with our international partners, we will ensure Ukraine has the tools to defend their country from Putin's illegal invasion.”

On the battlefield, Ukraine’s military has reported heavy and sometimes deadly Russian shelling in what it said were largely failed attempts by the enemy troops to advance.

Russian forces are closing in on Ukraine's second-biggest power plant at Vuhlehirska, 50 kilometres north-east of Donetsk, British military intelligence said.

“Russia is prioritising the capture of critical national infrastructure, such as power plants,” the MoD said in its regular bulletin.

The MoD said Russia was probably trying to break through at Vuhlehirska, as part of efforts to regain momentum on the southern pincer of its advance towards the key cities of Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.

About 15,000 Russian troops have been killed and 45,000 wounded since Moscow's war in Ukraine started in late February, CIA director William Burns said on Wednesday.

More than 20 M109 155mm self-propelled guns and 36 L119 105mm artillery guns will be arriving in Ukraine on the latest UK arms shipment.

The self-propelled gun is a modern version of the weapon that helped turned the tide of the Second World War against Germany in North Africa.

More than 1,600 anti-tank weapons, about 6,900 anti-tank missiles and hundreds of aerial munitions will also be sent.

The arms shipment includes:

• Anti-tank missiles, including NLAW, Javelin and Brimstone
• Multiple Launch Rocket Systems
• 120 Armoured Fighting Vehicles
• Six Stormer vehicles fitted with Starstreak launchers, along with hundreds of missiles
• Maritime Brimstone missiles
• More than 16,000 rounds of artillery ammunition
• Anti-structure munitions and 4.5 tonnes of plastic explosive
• Communications equipment
• Electronic warfare equipment
• More than 82,000 helmets, 8,450 sets of body armour, medical supplies and more than 5,000 night-vision devices