The announcement caused a reaction from Russian diplomacy, which considered that the dispatch of British heavy tanks would “in no way accelerate the end of military hostilities, but will only intensify them, causing new victims”, according to a press release from the Russian Embassy in London.
For his part, Mr Zelensky thanked the UK on Twitter for taking decisions that “not only will strengthen us on the battlefield, but will also send the right signal to other partners”. Since the start of the Russian invasion almost a year ago, kyiv’s European allies have already delivered nearly 300 modernized Soviet tanks, but never yet Western-built heavy tanks, despite repeated requests from the Ukraine. London is one of Ukraine’s main supporters against Russia.
The United Kingdom has already delivered, among other things, multiple rocket launchers and 125 anti-aircraft guns, as well as more than 100,000 munitions since February, the month when Russia launched its offensive.