Rishi Sunak promises more aid for Ukraine's fight against Russia
Rishi Sunak promises more military aid for Ukraine’s fight against Russia in the coming weeks in new call with Zelensky as they discuss ways to ‘bring victory closer’
- PM said Ukraine could ‘count on UK to continue to support it for the long term’
- Call after Ukrainian rocket attack killed hundreds of Russian soldiers in Donetsk
- Russia had unleashed a barrage of attacks on Ukrainian sites over new year
Rishi Sunak reaffirmed the UK’s military support for Ukraine today as he had a new year call with Volodymyr Zelensky.
Mr Sunak told the Ukrainian president that the country could ‘count on the UK to continue to support it for the long term’.
The two leaders spoke after a Ukrainian rocket attack killed potentially hundreds of Russian soldiers in a town in the Donetsk region.
Russia had unleashed a barrage of attacks on Ukrainian sites over the new year period.
A Downing Street spokesperson said: ‘The leaders discussed the abhorrent drone attacks on Ukraine in recent days, and the Prime Minister said the thoughts of the UK were with the Ukrainian people as they continued to live under such bombardment.
‘The Prime Minister said Ukraine could count on the UK to continue to support it for the long term, as demonstrated by the recent delivery of more than 1,000 anti-air missiles.
Mr Sunak told the Ukrainian president that the country could ‘count on the UK to continue to support it for the long term’.
The two leaders spoke after a Ukrainian rocket attack killed dozens – and possibly hundreds – of Russian soldiers in a town in the Donetsk region.
In a tweet, Mr Zelensky spoke of hopes to ‘bring victory closer’ in 2023, with the support of the UK.
Ukraine has killed or wounded at least 500 Russian troops in two devastating strikes in Kherson, its military has claimed.
‘Work was also under way to provide further equipment in the coming weeks and months to secure Ukraine’s victory on the battlefield, the Prime Minister added.’
In a tweet, Mr Zelensky spoke of hopes to ‘bring victory closer’ in 2023, with the support of the UK.
He tweeted that together with Rishi Sunak, ‘we discussed further defence cooperation’.
‘We agreed to intensify our efforts to bring victory closer this year already. We already have concrete decisions for this.’
The Ukrainian leader appears to be starting the new year with a round of phone calls to European leaders and allies, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Ukraine has killed or wounded at least 500 Russian troops in two devastating strikes in Kherson, its military has claimed.
The major attack on a farm in Chulakivka was claimed by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, adding to the scores killed in Makiivka, in Donetsk region, on 31 December.
In another new strike, Ukraine is believed to have hit a recreational facility called Grand Prix used by Russian military occupiers, including GRU military intelligence special forces.
Moscow has so far admitted to 63 deaths at its Makiivka barracks but Russian sources have indicated the toll is higher. The scale of any losses here is not yet clear.
Russian pro-war channels have accused a Moscow volunteer Petr Lozhkovoy of openly posting pictures of the base, which they claim resulted in a Ukrainian HIMARS missile attack.
The 10th Separate Guards Special Purpose Brigade of the Russian GRU are known to have stayed here.
The attack at Chulakivka – with hundreds of suspected casualties – was at a farm, say some reports.
At Makiivka, DNA evidence is being used by the Russians to identify those killed in the strike, which happened at a vocational school being used as a barracks for mobilised men at the very moment Vladimir Putin’s New Year message was being broadcast.
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