Britain is joining the US is supplying longer range rockets to Ukraine, despite fresh threats from Russia's president Vladimir Putin who says he is ready to expand strikes to 'decision-making centers' if these escalations from the West continue.
The Guardian is reporting Monday that "The UK will send a handful of tracked M270 multiple launch rocket systems, which can hit targets up to 50 miles away, in the hope they can disrupt the concentrated Russian artillery that has been pounding cities in eastern Ukraine."
The announcement comes as there's widespread acknowledgement that the tide of war is changing particularly in the east, where Russian forces are now making steady gains over the Donbas, with the Ukrainians saying they are suffering chronic supply shortages, including ammo and weapons.
In what appears a reference to the situation in the Donbas and the south, UK defence secretary Ben Wallace said the move to ship longer range rocket launchers is justified "as Russia’s tactics change, so must our support to Ukraine." However, he didn't speculate over Russia's potential response.
"As Russia’s tactics change, so must our support to Ukraine. These highly capable multiple-launch rocket systems will enable our Ukrainian friends to better protect themselves against the brutal use of long-range artillery, which Putin’s forces have used indiscriminately to flatten cities," Wallace said.