Britain is preparing to announce a new military aid package to Ukraine and has demonstrated new missile systems and armored vehicles it believes can help Kyiv in the next stages of the battle.
Junior Defense Ministers Jeremy Quin and James Heappey on Wednesday invited Ukraine’s Deputy Defense Minister Volodymyr Havrylov to the Salisbury Plains where they discussed what additional arms the UK could supply.
“It was my honor to show Minister Havrylov and his generals the kit Britain hopes to provide next and to discuss some new weapons that have recently been tested with British forces,” Heappey said.
The Army and Royal Marines demonstrated a range of equipment and “options for further military support” which the Ministry of Defense said included “defensive missile systems and protected mobility vehicles”.
The protected mobility vehicle is believed to refer to the Mastiff, a heavily armored patrol vehicle first deployed in Afghanistan that would help Ukrainian forces achieve greater maneuverability against Russian attacks in eastern Donbass.
It is less certain what artillery might be provided, although there has been speculation that Britain might offer the AS-90 howitzer, which has a range of nearly 15 miles and would help Ukrainian forces fight Russian shelling.
Both would be a modest increase on the more than 4,200 NLAW bazookas and Starstreak anti-aircraft systems the UK has already sent to Ukraine, which the UK describes as “defense weapons” designed to prevent the Russians from quickly attacking Ukraine to conquer country.
A source said Downing Street is likely to make an announcement on the next steps for military aid before the end of the week.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson met Poland’s President Andrzej Duda on Thursday afternoon where the issue was discussed. “Both leaders agreed that the West must accelerate its support to Ukraine in the coming days and go further and faster with the equipment it is supplying,” Downing Street said after the meeting.
Western countries have begun promising a new wave of military aid after repelling Russia’s initial attack on Kyiv, acknowledging that the conflict has entered a new phase with Ukraine trying to stop Moscow’s forces advancing east prevent and hold on to the profits made the south of the country.
A donors’ conference convened by the UK and attended by more than 35 countries last week identified what each country is ready to deliver. At the time, Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace said the best antidote to Russian artillery was “other long-range artillery.”
Some countries have already announced their plans. The US has pledged $400m (£300m) in aid over the past week, including the APKWS missiles, which can be deployed from the air and from land, and 10 Switchblade 600 drones, which deploy the same missiles , which are also used by the Javelin anti-tank weapon.
The Czech Republic has provided dozens of Soviet T-72 tanks – the first time a NATO country has agreed to send such heavy armor to Ukraine. But it’s still only a modest contribution to Kiev’s war effort.