Britain will transfer a significant amount of ammunition to Ukraine in 2023, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office said.

At the same time, they noted that the United Kingdom is already "the leading European supplier of defense assistance to Ukraine."

“Next year (UK. -

RT

) will supply hundreds of thousands of artillery munitions under a £250 million contract that guarantees a continuous supply of critical artillery munitions to Ukraine throughout 2023,” the government website said in a statement.

Moreover, according to the British authorities, their military support "is directly related to successful operations to return territories in Ukraine."

New military supplies to the Kyiv regime were announced in London ahead of the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) summit, which will be held on December 19 in Riga.

At the meeting, which will also include representatives from Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden and Norway, Rishi Sunak is going to call on allies next year to “maintain or exceed the 2022 aid to Ukraine indicators.”

London support

The UK has provided £2.3bn ($2.8bn) of military aid to Ukraine this year and plans to provide the same amount next year, as announced by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during a visit to Kyiv on November 19.

According to him, London will continue to support the Republic until it achieves peace and security on its territory.

At the same time, Rishi Sunak promised to provide Ukraine with new defense assets, including 125 anti-aircraft guns, radars and anti-drone equipment, which were included in a £50 million ($61 million) military support package.

Earlier, the United Kingdom sent Kyiv NLAW anti-tank missile systems, armored vehicles, Stormer self-propelled anti-aircraft guns equipped with Starstreak missiles, M109 howitzers and L119 towed guns, M270 multiple launch rocket systems, loitering ammunition and artillery shells.

In addition, Westland WS-61 Sea King helicopters, which can be used for both search and rescue and reconnaissance operations, and upgraded high-precision Brimstone 2 air-to-ground missiles were provided to Kyiv. As stated in the British Ministry of Defense on December 17, these munitions "play an important role in slowing down the Russian offensive."

In London, they believe that Kyiv can continue to resist in the winter.

As British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace emphasized in an interview with The Daily Beast on November 24, the Ukrainian Armed Forces have everything necessary for this, including Arctic equipment provided by the allies.

In addition, the minister believes, the Armed Forces of Ukraine have an advantage over the Russian military in training, which is carried out, including by the UK.

The United Kingdom has been training Ukrainian troops since 2017, according to documents from the UK Intelligence Community Foundation (CSSF).

And if before the start of the Russian special military operation, training was conducted on the territory of Ukraine, then after Britain continued to train representatives of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on its territory and the territory of European countries.

In particular, British instructors teach Ukrainians how to use MLRS launchers and infantry skills on the battlefield.

  • Ukrainian soldiers are training in the UK

  • AP

  • © Kirsty Wigglesworth

Direct guidance

Moscow noted that British specialists not only train the Armed Forces of Ukraine, but also participate in the planning of their operations.

One of these was the attack on ships of the Black Sea Fleet and civilian ships in Sevastopol.

“There is evidence that Britain is involved in sabotage (in Russian, a terrorist act) in relation to vital energy infrastructure, and not Russian, it is very important to take into account here, but international energy infrastructure,” the presidential press secretary told reporters on November 1 RF Dmitry Peskov.

The involvement of the United Kingdom military in the Ukrainian conflict was later confirmed by Lieutenant General Robert Magowen, who commanded the Royal Marines from April 2021 to November 2022.

According to him, the British special forces went to Ukraine twice: the first time in January to evacuate the embassy from Kyiv to Poland, and the second in April to restart the work of the diplomatic mission.

“During both stages, the commandos provided support in other covert operations in extremely sensitive circumstances and conditions associated with a heightened level of political and military risks,” the Daily Mail quoted him as saying.

At the same time, the British Navy hastened to deny the participation of its representatives in any military operations in Ukraine.

“The Royal Marines were involved in Ukraine to support the British diplomatic presence in this country, they did not perform combat missions,” a Navy spokesman told the publication.

  • British Embassy in Kyiv

  • Gettyimages.ru

  • © Anadolu Agency

Self assertion

According to Konstantin Blokhin, a researcher at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the UK is deliberately fueling the conflict in Ukraine with its arms supplies, trying to prolong it.

“The Anglo-Saxons are working together on this issue, trying to prevent the conflict from ending too soon.

Their goal is to create a second Afghanistan from Ukraine in order to exhaust Russia and weaken its position in the world.

In this regard, we can expect not only an increase in the transfer of conventional weapons and ammunition, but also the further dispatch of systems such as the Patriot, or even fighters, ”the expert said in an interview with RT.

Alexey Podberyozkin, director of the Center for Military-Political Research, shares his point of view.

In a conversation with RT, he indicated that the UK is seeking to create for itself the image of the leader of the anti-Russian coalition in Europe.

“Britain is really more active than others in maintaining the conflict in Ukraine.

In the course are not only the supply of weapons, but also the practical guidance of the actions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, as we have already seen.

Thus, London wants to seize the initiative to contain Russia from the United States in order to record all possible successes in this direction at its own expense, ”the analyst explained.

At the same time, he noted that if the British authorities continue to generously transfer their weapons to Kyiv, they will ultimately risk being left with an empty arsenal, which will hit the security of the United Kingdom itself.

The interest of Britain in this conflict also lies in the fact that with its help the kingdom hopes to restore its position as a leading European power, Konstantin Blokhin believes.

“By announcing new deliveries, urging allies to follow her example, making aggressive statements against Russia, Britain is demonstrating its imperial ambitions.

In particular, they are reflected in the “global Britain” strategy presented in 2021, which directly states the country’s intention to use its military, economic, diplomatic and cultural potential to influence the world arena,” he said.

And military deliveries to Kyiv fit into this strategy, Blokhin emphasized.

“Britain seeks to convince the world that it plays a key role in containing modern Russia, which allegedly threatens the Western world,” the expert concluded.