LONDON, Oct 21 - RIA Novosti. The British Ministry of Defense, in response to RIA Novosti's request to comment on the Times newspaper reports that the government is negotiating the sale of Brimstone missiles to Ukraine, said that it was a deal that was made public in June of this year, but the names of the missiles were not indicated in the June message.
On the eve of the Times newspaper, citing a Ukrainian source, reported that the UK is negotiating with Ukraine on the sale of weapons, in particular, for the first time on the sale of missiles to this country. As part of the agreements under discussion, Britain may supply Ukraine with surface-to-surface missiles and missiles for military aircraft. According to the newspaper, the sale of Brimstone missiles developed by the MDBA consortium to Kiev for installation on ships of the Ukrainian Navy is also being discussed. The parties are also considering the supply of Brimstone missiles worth about $ 138 thousand for use from the air. The publication emphasizes that Brimstone is a high-tech homing missile that can hit many targets at once.
"We ask you to read our press release regarding this deal, the details of which were made public in June of this year," the press service of the UK Defense Ministry told RIA Novosti, sending a press release published in June. To the clarifying question whether the Times material is talking about this particular deal and no new deals are being discussed, the British Ministry of Defense answered in the affirmative and expressed bewilderment why they decided to write about it four months later.
In June of this year, the Ministries of Defense of Great Britain and Ukraine signed a memorandum on the implementation of support for building up the naval potential of Ukraine. The document was signed aboard the Royal Navy destroyer Defender, which was then in Odessa. On behalf of the UK, the agreement was signed by Deputy Minister of Defense for Procurement for the needs of military production Jerem Quinn, on the part of Ukraine – Deputy Minister of Defense Alexander Mironyuk, on the part of business - Executive Director of the British leading company in the field of defense and aerospace industry and security Babcock International David Lockwood.
According to the Ministry of Defense, the deal involves the supply of new naval platforms and defensive naval weapons to Ukraine, the training of personnel of the Naval Forces of Ukraine, the creation of new military bases and the purchase of two Sundown-class anti-mine vessels.
The execution of the contract was to begin with projects such as the sale and installation of missiles on new and operational patrol and air platforms, including personnel training and engineering support, the development and joint production of eight high-speed missile ships, the creation of a new naval base for Ukraine in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, the sale of two repaired Sundown-class mine ships.
The exact type and name of the missiles is not specified.
