The UK Government has pledged to provide Challenger 2 battle tanks to Kyiv, to help in the Ukraine War. Source: Cpl Wes Calder/Ministry of Defence (UK)
The United Kingdom has confirmed it will send Western-made heavy tanks to Ukrainian forces in what will likely be seen by the Kremlin as an escalation to the Ukraine War.
Over the weekend it was confirmed that the UK has pledged to deliver a total of 14 Challenger 2 tanks to Kyiv. Two of these tanks will be sent immediately.
It follows France and Poland who also recently pledged further weapons for the embattled country.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has long pleaded for Western countries to provide battle tanks to combat the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
However, until now, Western leaders have been hesitant to provide the powerful tanks, concerned that it would be viewed as an escalation to the now almost 11-month long conflict.
This week, the UK also began training Ukrainian personnel on how to use the tanks and guns.
“As the people of Ukraine approach their second year living under relentless Russian bombardment, the Prime Minister is dedicated to ensuring Ukraine wins this war,” said a spokesperson for UK prime minister Rishi Sunak via a statement.
“Alongside his closest military advisors, he has analysed the military picture, looked at the strategic impact of the UK’s support and identified a window where he thinks the UK and its allies can have maximum impact.”
The Russian Embassy in London said that the UK’s pledge of tanks is “the increasingly obvious involvement of London in the conflict,” and that the decision would further drag out the conflict and lead to more victims, including civilians.
“As for the Challenger 2 tanks, they are unlikely to help the Armed Forces of Ukraine turn the tide on the battlefield, but they will become a legitimate large target for the Russian artillery,” said the embassy, per comments cited by the TASS Russian news agency.
The Challenger 2 battle tank has been in service with the British military since 1994. It is designed to attack other tanks.
On Twitter, Zelensky thanked the British Prime Minister “for the decisions that will not only strengthen us on the battlefield, but also send the right signal to other partners”.
Always strong support of the UK is now impenetrable and ready for challenges. In a conversation with the Prime Minister, @RishiSunak, I thanked for the decisions that will not only strengthen us on the battlefield, but also send the right signal to other partners.
— Володимир Зеленський (@ZelenskyyUa) January 14, 2023
In a video address, Zelensky called the pledge “important” for the defence of Ukraine.
“It’s really what is needed.
“I believe that similar decisions will still be made by other partners — those who understand why such evil cannot be given a single chance.”
The same day as the announcement, a Russian missile struck a nine-storey apartment building in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro. On Monday, it was confirmed that 35 people had died, with the lives of 35 more residents uncertain.
At least some of the residents appeared to be alive in the rubble and in contact with authorities.
“They keep sending SMSs,” said deputy mayor of Dnipro, Mikhailo Lysenko on social media.
“We stop our work now and then to keep silence and we hear people scream from underneath the rubble.”
