Sweden, UK provide new weapons, missiles to Ukraine
Jan. 19 (UPI) — Sweden and Great Britain announced on Thursday both packages of military aid to Ukraineincluding weapons and missiles, prompting a warning from Moscow.
Office of the Prime Minister of Sweden on Thursday announced a $415 million “tripartite support” package that includes the Archer artillery system.
“This includes recoilless rifles with ammunition, anti-tank weapons, automatic rifles, mine clearance equipment, Combat Vehicle 90 (CV90) with ammunition and light anti-tank weapon Robot 57 (NLAW), host [$415 million]”, the text continues.
The Swedish government has also asked the armed forces to prepare the transfer of Archer B artillery systems and ammunition to Ukraine.
The Archer B artillery system is one self-propelled howitzer, with a range of about 21 miles, which can be extended by using specially modified shells. It also has the ability to fire a volley of artillery shells and then quickly move to another location, a feature that could help Ukrainian artillery crews avoid Russian counterfire.
Artillery has become crucial for Ukrainian forces trying to take out Russian command and control centers behind the front lines while holding back Russian advances in the eastern Donetsk region.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky thanked Sweden for the upcoming assistance in a tweet Thursday.
“Deeply grateful to the Government of Sweden & @SwedishPM for the new military aid package to Ukraine. CV90 IFV, Archer self-propelled howitzers & NLAW ATGM are powerful weapons that [Ukraine’s] army needs to free our country from the Russian invader together to a common victory,” Zelensky wrote.
UK Defense Secretary, Ben Wallaceannounced that his county would also be provide additional weapons to Ukraine on Thursday.
“We will be sending an additional 600 Brimstone missiles into theater which will be incredibly important in helping Ukraine dominate the battlefield,” Wallace told reporters.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov condemned the provision of military supplies to Ukraine during a conversations with journalists Thursday.
“The very discussion of the permissibility of providing Ukraine with weapons that would allow it to strike on Russian territory – even though Ukraine already has weapons with which it constantly strikes our new regions – is potentially extremely dangerous,” he said. “It will mean bringing the conflict to a new qualitative level, a level that does not bode well for European security.”
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin III met his German counterpart Thursday to discuss aid to Ukraine. The German government has said they would give Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, if the US also supplies tanks.
On Wednesday, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said his country is ready to deliver its own German-built Leopard 2 tanks to Ukraine, even without German approval.