Kyiv, Ukraine (AP) – The British government said Monday that the missile systems it offers to Ukraine will bring a “significant boost in capabilities” to the country’s efforts to counter the Russian invasion.
“If the international community continues to support, I believe that Ukraine can win its war against Russia,” said British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace in a statement.
The statement came after comments Sunday from Russian President Vladimir Putin, who warned the West not to send longer-range missile systems to Ukraine.
The British government described the M270 weapon system as an “advanced” military asset that could hit targets up to 80 kilometers (50 miles) “with extreme precision”. The United Kingdom promised to send arms last week. Did not give details of delivery dates.
Last week, the United States announced plans to deliver $ 700 million in security aid to Ukraine, including four precision-guided medium-range missile systems, as well as helicopters, Javelin anti-tank systems, radars, tactical vehicles and more.
Washington and London hope that the supplies will help Ukraine reverse the course of the war in its eastern Donbass, which Russia appears to intend to take completely.
However, they are unlikely to have an immediate impact. The Pentagon said last week that it would take at least three weeks to bring U.S. weapons to the battlefield. Russian-backed separatists have been fighting the Ukrainian government since 2014 in Donbas.
The United States has stopped offering Ukraine longer-range weapons that could fire deep into Russia and inflame tensions with Moscow.
Meanwhile, Russian missile use in Ukraine continued to hit targets, with the Russian military saying on Monday that it had hit a Ukrainian factory repairing armor.
Russian warplanes fired long-range missiles to destroy a plant near the town of Lozova in the northeastern Kharkiv region that was repairing armored vehicles, said Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Major General Igor Konashenkov.
Russian aircraft have hit 73 areas of concentration of Ukrainian troops and equipment, and Russian artillery has hit 431 military targets, Konashenkov said. His allegations could not be verified independently.
Putin has promised to strike deeper into the heart of Ukraine if the West sends longer-range missile systems to Kyiv. In a demonstration of force Russian missiles hit the capital of Ukraine Kyiv on Sunday.
The General Staff of Ukraine announced that the Russian forces fired five X-22 cruise missiles from the Caspian Sea to Kyiv, and one was destroyed by the air defense. Four other missiles hit “infrastructure”, but Ukraine said there were no casualties.
Prior to Sunday’s early morning attack, Kyiv had not faced such Russian air strikes since UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ April 28 visit.
On Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the command posts and front positions of Ukrainian troops in Donetsk and Luhansk, which make up Donbass.
Ukraine’s fight on the 103rd day of the war was heartfelt for Day D veterans who gathered in northern France on Monday.
D-Day American veteran Charles Shay, 97, was on Omaha Beach in Normandy in the morning to mark the 78th anniversary of the June 6, 1944, landing and pay tribute to those who fell that day.
Asked about his feelings about the war on the European continent, Shay told the Associated Press that “the situation is very sad.”
“In 1944, I landed on these beaches and we thought we would bring peace to the world. But it is not possible, “he added with regret.
Ukraine’s regional governor said Monday that the situation in a key eastern city has worsened for the defending troops.
Luhansk Governor Sergei Haidai said on Monday that fierce fighting continues in the city of Severodonetsk, which is at the epicenter of Russia’s offensive.
He described the fighting situation as “quite dynamic”, adding that Ukrainian forces had lost some of their achievements over the weekend, but held their ground in the city’s industrial zone.
The Russians continue the intense bombing of Severodonetsk and nearby Lisichansk, Haidai said.
Russian forces are focusing on the conquest of Severodonetsk and Lisichansk.
West of these cities, in the cities of Slavyansk and Bakhmut, cars and military vehicles are moving towards the city from the front line. Dozens of military doctors and ambulances worked Sunday to evacuate civilian and Ukrainian servicemen, many of whom were wounded by artillery fire.
Western military intelligence reports say Ukraine’s counterattacks in Severodonetsk are likely to halt the operational momentum of Russian forces previously gained by concentrating its fighting forces and firepower in the area.
Serbia confirmed on Monday that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov’s planned visit to the Balkans will not take place after reports that Bulgaria, northern Macedonia and Montenegro have refused to allow his plane to fly over its airspace to reach Serbia. .
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Associated Press reporters David Keaton and Hannah Archirova in Kyiv contributed to the report.
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Follow the coverage of the AP for the war in Ukraine
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