Ignoring Russia’s warnings, Britain provides long-range missiles to Ukraine

On June 6, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace announced that the UK would provide M270 long-range rocket systems (MLRS) to Ukraine to help Kiev fend off Russian attacks.

According to the British Ministry of Defense, the M270 system can hit targets at a distance of 80 km with precision-guided missiles, which will significantly increase the offensive capacity of Ukrainian forces.

Ukrainian soldiers will be trained in the use of these systems in the UK. The British Ministry of Defense believes that this will help “maximizing the efficiency of systems”.

Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said Ukraine’s Western allies must keep up their arms deliveries to help the country “win” in the fight to repel Russia’s military campaign.

“The UK stands with Ukraine in this war and is playing a leading role in providing the vital weapons needed to help Ukraine defend the country.

As Russia’s tactics change, so does our support for Ukraine. These missile systems will allow Ukraine to better defend itself against enemy long-range artillery.” Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said.

To date, London has provided more than $937 million in military assistance to Ukraine, including sending air defense systems, thousands of anti-tank missiles and ammunition, hundreds of armored vehicles and other equipment.

Last week, the US announced it would provide Kiev with a highly mobile multiple rocket launcher system, called HIMARS, which can simultaneously launch multiple types of precision-guided rocket munitions and has a range and accuracy superior to that of with existing Ukrainian systems.

However, US President Joe Biden has ruled out supplying Ukraine with missile systems with a range to reach Russia, despite Kiev’s repeated requests for such weapons.

Russian President Vladimir Putin voiced a warning about the US move. He said that Moscow would strike new unspecified “targets” if the West provided missiles to Ukraine, and accused the West of delivering new weapons to Kiev as an act of “prolong the conflict”.