Britain is sending long-range Storm Shadow missiles to Ukraine, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Thursday.
Announcing the decision in the House of Commons, Mr Wallace said the weapons would give Ukrainians “the best chance to defend themselves” against the Russian invasion.
The air-launched cruise missiles developed in the UK and France have a range of about 560km and deliver a conventional warhead weighing 450kg to its target.
The Shadow missiles, which weigh 1,300kg, have the ability to clear soil or enter a bunker before a controlled detonation of the warhead is triggered.
“Storm Shadow is a long-range, conventional-only, precision strike capability,” Mr Wallace said.
“It complements the long-range systems already gifted [by the UK] including Himars and Harpoon missiles, as well as Ukraine's own Neptune cruise missile and longer-range munitions elsewhere gifted.
“The donation of these weapons systems gives Ukrainians the best chance to defend themselves.”
In a speech in the House of Commons, the minister said at least 23,000 Ukrainians have been killed or wounded since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
He said that, during several trips to the Eastern European nation in recent months, he has seen destroyed buildings and infrastructure, which he called “visible and tragic symbols of the Kremlin’s desperation”.
Mr Wallace said that, more than a year into the war, Russia “can only occupy the rubble left by their destruction”.
He dismissed Moscow’s Victory Day Parade earlier this week, saying “all it did was showcase this historic failure” in Ukraine.
Dmitry Peskov, Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, called the delivery of the jets “extremely negative”.
“This will demand an adequate response from our military, which will, naturally, from a military point of view, find corresponding solutions,” Mr Peskov said.
Earlier, reports suggested the Storm Shadow missiles had already reached Ukraine.
Alicia Kearns, chairwoman of the House of Commons' foreign affairs committee, wrote on Twitter: “If true, this is good news. We must do everything we can to even the odds for our Ukrainian allies. Defence is never an escalation.”
Lt Gen Ben Hodges, a former commander of US forces in Europe, welcomed Britain's donation.
“Well done UK!” he wrote on Twitter. “This will give Ukraine capability to make Crimea untenable for Russian forces.
“Commander, Black Sea fleet is now faced with the destruction of ships, facilities in Sevastopol or repositioning ships to Novorossiysk, a much less capable port for support of the Fleet.”
Russian invasion of Ukraine — pictures
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More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
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Engine: 80 kWh four-wheel-drive
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 402bhp
Torque: 760Nm
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Results
Men's finals
45kg:Duc Le Hoang (VIE) beat Zolfi Amirhossein (IRI) points 29-28. 48kg: Naruephon Chittra (THA) beat Joseph Vanlalhruaia (IND) TKO round 2.
51kg: Sakchai Chamchit (THA) beat Salam Al Suwaid (IRQ) TKO round 1. 54kg: Veerasak Senanue (THA) beat Huynh Hoang Phi (VIE) 30-25.
57kg: Almaz Sarsembekov (KAZ) beat Tak Chuen Suen (MAC) RSC round 3. 60kg: Yerkanat Ospan (KAZ) beat Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) 30-27.
63.5kg: Abil Galiyev (KAZ) beat Nouredine Samir (UAE) 29-28. 67kg: Narin Wonglakhon (THA) beat Mohammed Mardi (UAE) 29-28.
71kg: Amine El Moatassime (UAE) w/o Shaker Al Tekreeti (IRQ). 75kg: Youssef Abboud (LBN) w/o Ayoob Saki (IRI).
81kg: Ilyass Habibali (UAE) beat Khaled Tarraf (LBN) 29-28. 86kg: Ali Takaloo (IRI) beat Emil Umayev (KAZ) 30-27.
91kg: Hamid Reza Kordabadi (IRI) beat Mohamad Osaily (LBN) RSC round 1. 91-plus kg: Mohammadrezapoor Shirmohammad (IRI) beat Abdulla Hasan (IRQ) 30-27.
Women's finals
45kg: Somruethai Siripathum (THA) beat Ha Huu Huynh (VIE) 30-27. 48kg: Thanawan Thongduang (THA) beat Colleen Saddi (PHI) 30-27.
51kg: Wansawang Srila Or (THA) beat Thuy Phuong Trieu (VIE) 29-28. 54kg: Ruchira Wongsriwo (THA) beat Zeinab Khatoun (LBN) 30-26.
57kg: Sara Idriss (LBN) beat Zahra Nasiri Bargh (IRI) 30-27. 60kg: Kaewrudee Kamtakrapoom (THA) beat Sedigheh Hajivand (IRI) TKO round 2.
63.5kg: Nadiya Moghaddam (IRI) w/o Reem Al Issa (JOR).
The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The years Ramadan fell in May
The years Ramadan fell in May
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
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Engine: Duel electric motors
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
OIL PLEDGE
At the start of Russia's invasion, IEA member countries held 1.5 billion barrels in public reserves and about 575 million barrels under obligations with industry, according to the agency's website. The two collective actions of the IEA this year of 62.7 million barrels, which was agreed on March 1, and this week's 120 million barrels amount to 9 per cent of total emergency reserves, it added.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
