RT.com
23 Nov 2022, 19:43 GMT+10
Kiev is reportedly getting three former British military Sea Kings
The United Kingdom will send helicopters to Ukraine, the first manned aircraft London intends to provide to Kiev since the start of the conflict with Russia, British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace announced on Wednesday.
According to the BBC and The Times, the shipment includes three former military Sea Kings, one of which has already been delivered to Ukraine.
The UK defense secretary made the announcement in Oslo, where he was discussing military support for Kiev with London's allies. He said Ukrainian service members had been training in Britain to operate and maintain the aircraft, which are intended to be used in search and rescue operations.
Wallace also noted that Britain would provide Ukraine with an additional 10,000 shells for unspecified artillery pieces.
"Our support for Ukraine is unwavering," he said, as quoted by The Times, adding that this aid would "help Ukraine to secure the land it has reclaimed from Russia in recent weeks."
The Westland Sea King is a license-built version of the US Sikorsky S-61 and undertook its maiden flight in 1969. It was designed for anti-submarine warfare but was also used in early warning and assault transport roles. The aircraft was retired from the UK's military service in 2018.
The helicopter shipment comes after UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a new Pound 50 million ($59.5 million) security assistance package last week, which included 125 anti-aircraft guns as well as some other military equipment.
Earlier, the UK committed to providing Kiev with drones, while the US sent to Ukraine 20 Soviet-era Mi-17 helicopters. In March, Poland offered to give Ukraine its entire fleet of MiG-29 fighter jets - 23 operational planes - if the US supplied Warsaw with its own similar aircraft. Washington, however, rebuffed this request. The US has also so far resisted calls to support Kiev with advanced aircraft such as F-16 jets.
Moscow has repeatedly warned Western countries against "pumping" Ukraine with weapons, claiming that it would only prolong the hostilities.
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of The UK News news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to The UK News.
More InformationSAN FRANCISCO, California: Grammarly is doubling down on AI-powered productivity tools with the acquisition of Superhuman, a sleek...
NEW YORK, New York -U.S. stock markets closed with broad gains on Thursday, led by strong performances in U.S. tech stocks, while European...
LONDON/STOCKHOLM: The Persson family is ramping up its investment in the H&M fashion empire, fueling renewed speculation about a potential...
PARIS, France: L'Oréal is making a fresh play in the booming premium haircare segment with a new acquisition. The French beauty conglomerate...
MENLO PARK, California: Robinhood is giving European investors a new way to tap into America's most prominent tech names — without...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. stocks diverged on Wednesday for the second day in a row. The Standard and Poor's 500 hit a new all-time...
BEIJING, China: China's national soccer team may struggle to stir excitement, but its humanoid robots are drawing cheers — and not...
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], July 4 (ANI): Mohun Bagan Super Giant's (MBSG) Dippendu Biswas is living the dream that every young...
Diogo Jota and his brother were killed just days after the Portuguese forward's wedding ...
New Delhi [India], July 3 (ANI): Indian Super League (ISL) side NorthEast United FC, on Wednesday, announced the departure of Spanish...
Florida [US], July 2 (ANI): Spanish giants Real Madrid and German club Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday became the last two teams to...
(250702) -- ATLANTA, July 2, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Supporters of CF Monterrey react before the round of 16 match between Borussia Dortmund...