UK MoD to provide Ukraine with anti-aircraft systems

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The United Kingdom will provide Ukraine with Starstreak, a high-velocity anti-aircraft missile system, among other military aid to Kiev, the UK Defense Ministry confirmed on Wednesday, following an extraordinary NATO defense chiefs meeting.

"During the meeting, Defense Ministers agreed to continue providing significant military supplies to Ukraine," London's ministry said in a statement, underlining that the country's aid to Ukraine would include "lethal and non-lethal aid", a term the West has been using for armament supplies to their allies in eastern Europe.

The UK Defence Secretary highlighted that the UK would be providing Starstreak, "a high-velocity anti-aircraft missile system, that complements the other military aid provided by the UK Armed Forces, including over 4,000 anti-tank missiles," the statement added.

According to the ministry, defense chief Ben Wallace said the UK and its allies would continue supporting Ukraine against Russia's military operation.

London, as per the ministry, has recently doubled the number of troops in Estonia, sent HMS Trent, a patrolling vessel, and HMS Diamond, an air defense destroyed, to the Eastern Mediterranea, and is conducting joint air policing missions in Poland and Romania's airspace to bolster its "commitment" to Eastern Europe.

The United States and its NATO allies announced sending surface-to-air missile systems to Ukraine, including Soviet-era systems, such as the SA-8 and the SA-12 systems, CNN reported earlier Wednesday, citing a senior US official.

The systems have a higher engagement altitude than the Stinger shoulder-held missiles the US had sent Kiev.

The systems are "on the way" to Ukraine, the official added.

However, despite Washington revealing that it was delivering SA systems, a US representative told CNN now had S-300 defense systems in the country.

The weapons were sent to Kiev after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky told the US Congress to supply arms to his country if they could not impose a no-fly zone over it.

Ukraine had long been asking NATO and the United States to impose a no-fly zone in its airspace, but Brussels and Washington have dismissed the requests.

Kiev had made an admission that establishing a no-fly zone over Ukraine as Russia's special military operation in the country continues could potentially lead to a direct war between the Russian Federation and NATO, according to Andriy Yermak, head of Volodymyr Zelensky's office. However, it was still reiterating the plea for the action.