As the diplomatic mission stressed, this will not help the AFU to reverse the situation on the battlefield, but will only lead to a tightening of hostilitiesLONDON, January 14th.
/tass/. Sending British Challenger 2 tanks to Kiev will not help the AFU to reverse the situation on the battlefield and will only lead to a tightening of the conflict in Ukraine and new victims. This is stated in the comments of the Russian Embassy in London transmitted to TASS on Saturday.
"The direction of tanks will not bring the end of hostilities any closer, but will contribute to their tightening, provoking more and more victims, including among the civilian population," the diplomatic mission stressed. - This, however, fully corresponds to London's line of prolonging the confrontation, which is confirmed by the belligerent official rhetoric and diligent ignoring of the idea of a negotiated settlement repeatedly voiced by the Russian side. Thus, there is another evidence of the British authorities' disregard for the lives of ordinary Ukrainians, as well as London's increasingly obvious involvement in the conflict. As for the Challenger 2 tanks, they are unlikely to help the APU turn the situation around on the battlefield, but they will become a legitimate major target for Russian guns."
On Saturday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, in a conversation with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, promised to transfer Challenger 2 tanks to Kiev, as well as new artillery systems. The exact number of units of armored vehicles sent to Ukraine is not called, however, according to the newspaper "Sun", we are talking about at least 12 main battle tanks of the British army. Leaks about the plans of the British government began to appear in the British media in early January.
"The preparation of public opinion for this step has been systematically conducted in recent weeks, resembling a poorly directed performance. It is obvious that the fundamental decision was made in advance, and its announcement is tied to the upcoming meeting in the Ramstein format in the near future," Russian diplomats believe. - The UK is in a hurry to assert itself again and become the first country in NATO in terms of arming Kiev and escalating the conflict. The initiative to provide the APU with modern models of heavy armored vehicles is largely designed to create a precedent and is designed to encourage other, less confrontational Western states to follow suit by providing the APU with their own tanks."
Western Supplies
According to The Sun newspaper, the British government intends to immediately transfer the first four Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, and soon after that eight more. According to the publication, Sunak spoke with the leadership of the defense department and security services, telling them that the delivery of tanks to the country should become "an operational priority." Initially, the British media reported sending 10 tanks to Ukraine, but The Sun indicates that Sunak and Defense Minister Ben Wallace "decided to send a squadron (may include up to 18 tanks - approx. TASS) after this issue was actively lobbied by" Zelensky. At the same time, a retired British Air Vice Marshal (the rank corresponds to an army major General) Sean Bell, in an interview with Sky News, expressed the opinion that Challenger 2 may not benefit Ukraine if they are transferred to the country's armed forces, as they are difficult to master.
On January 6, the United States announced the allocation of another package of military assistance to Ukraine in excess of $ 3 billion. The package, in particular, will include Bradley tracked infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) and self-propelled howitzers. Prior to that, Germany stated that it intends to supply the Marder BMP to the Kiev authorities, and France is going to send AMX-10 RC wheeled tanks to Ukraine.
