It will include "main battle tanks, heavy artillery, air defense systems, ammunition and infantry fighting vehicles"LONDON, January 19.
/tass/. The Defense Ministers of Great Britain, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, as well as representatives of Denmark, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and Slovakia have agreed on a new "unprecedented package of gratuitous assistance" with weapons to Ukraine. According to a statement issued on Thursday by the British government following a meeting in Estonia, it will include "main battle tanks, heavy artillery, air defense systems, ammunition and infantry fighting vehicles."
The document provides previously unpublished information about what will include a new package of British military assistance to Ukraine in addition to a squadron of 14 Challenger 2 tanks and 30 AS90 self-propelled howitzers. Complete with heavy military equipment will be armored repair and evacuation vehicles, equipment for clearing minefields and pointing pontoon bridges and dozens of drones for correcting artillery fire. It mentions sending to Ukraine "hundreds of armored and protected vehicles," 100,000 artillery shells, as well as hundreds of missiles, including GMLRS guided missiles and Starstreak MANPADS, medium-range anti-aircraft missiles, as well as 600 Brimstone missiles designed to defeat tanks. In addition, Kiev will receive spare parts, which, according to the calculations of the British military, will allow restoring up to a hundred Ukrainian armored vehicles, including tanks.
In addition, the UK, together with nine partner countries, intends to train 20,000 APU fighters during 2023.
As noted, "Poland's new package consists of S-60 anti-aircraft artillery installations with 70 thousand shells." Warsaw also announced its "readiness to transfer a company of Leopard 2 tanks with 1 thousand shells."
It is reported that Denmark will continue to train the Ukrainian armed forces and "will continue to transfer weapons and military support in close cooperation with allies in accordance with the needs of Ukraine."
Estonian assistance will include "a dozen howitzers" FH-70 and D-30 and thousands of shells, as well as auxiliary equipment. In addition, Tallinn will give Kiev several hundred Swedish RPG "Carl Gustav" M2 and charges for them. Latvia is sending Ukraine two Mi-17 helicopters and dozens of Stinger MANPADS, several dozen UAVs, spare parts for M109 howitzers, as well as dozens of machine guns and ammunition. Latvia also plans to train about 2 thousand Ukrainian military. Lithuania's assistance package to Ukraine includes several dozen L70 anti-aircraft guns manufactured by the Swedish concern Bofors and two Mi-8 helicopters. During this year, Vilnius also intends to allocate 40 million euros for the purchase of thermal imagers, UAVs and means to combat them for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Slovakia announced its intention to coordinate with the allies the possibility of transferring additional military equipment to Kiev. It is emphasized that we are talking about the supply of main battle tanks, infantry fighting vehicles and air defense systems. Representatives of Bratislava also announced an increase in the production of howitzers, ammunition and equipment for demining Ukrainian territory. The Czech Republic also intends to increase the volume of military products in order to provide Ukraine with howitzers, armored personnel carriers and ammunition in the future. It is emphasized that the key component of Czech support is assistance in the maintenance and repair of military equipment, which has already been transferred to Kiev by Western allies. Prague promises to increase its potential in this area.