Ukraine today pleaded with Britain and its allies to give it more weapons to defeat Vladimir Putin’s forces who were accused of resorting to the “mass extermination of civilians”.
Vadym Prystaiko, Ukraine’s ambassador in London, stepped up the demand for more military equipment amid signs that Nato members in eastern Europe could send Soviet-designed fighter jets to Ukraine, which would then be replaced by aircraft from other Nato states.
With Russian troops believed to be preparing for an assault on Ukraine’s capital Kyiv, Mr Prystaiko wrote in the Evening Standard: “Ukraine will stand strong and fight to the last man. With our international partners, such as the UK, providing the necessary aid, Ukraine has every chance of winning. Yet today the odds are still overwhelming. The main challenge is to counter Russia’s savage campaign of artillery and air strikes on Ukrainian cities and other civilian targets.”
He urged the West to enforce a no-fly zone over Ukraine, a move Nato has rejected because of fears it could spark a wider war.
Mr Prystaiko added: “We also need prompt supply of more weapons for Ukraine. British-provided NLAWs (Next generation Light Anti-tank Weapons) have stopped many columns of Russian tanks and armoured vehicles; these are now a household name in Ukraine. However, we certainly need more, especially of modern air-defence and anti-tank systems.”
Boris Johnson spoke to Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky on Sunday and pledged to explore supplying more military equipment.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed that Washington was considering supplying F-16 aircraft to Poland, which would allow it to send some of its Soviet-designed MiG-29s fighter jets for use by Ukraine’s air force, which it is trained to use. The plan was swiftly backed by Tobias Ellwood, Conservative chairman of the Commons defence committee, who tweeted: “I hope any Nato states with Su-27s or MiG-29s are now repainting insignia and gifting these jets to Ukraine. Then other Nato states can infill with their respective air assets.” However, it is understood that Britain is not currently considering such a move.
On day 12 of the invasion, the mood among political leaders in Kyiv was said to be darkening as the civilian and military death tolls rose.
As horrific footage, photos and reports were coming out of Ukraine of families, children and other civilians being killed by Russian attacks, Mr Prystaiko warned: “Putin’s Blitzkrieg against Ukraine has fallen through, and the invaders now stand little chance of subduing Ukraine in the long run.
“To make up for their gross errors in judgment, the Russians have resorted to intimidation and mass extermination of civilians. They use indiscriminate and destructive weapons to shell our cities and towns, causing an acute humanitarian disaster.”
He added: “Make no mistake: Ukraine and the whole world are facing a ruthless, barbaric enemy that is driven by extreme hatred. There is no reasoning or bargaining with it; it can only be stopped by force.” In key developments:
The Kremlin announced new “humanitarian corridors” for Ukrainians trapped in cities and towns under its bombardment, but the move was immediately dismissed by Kyiv as an “immoral” stunt once it became clear that the routes reportedly were into Russia or Belarus.
The announcement came after two days of failed ceasefires to let civilians escape the besieged city of Mariupol, where hundreds of thousands of people are trapped without food and water, under relentless bombardment and unable to evacuate their wounded.
The general staff of Ukraine’s armed forces said Russian forces were “beginning to accumulate resources for the storming of Kyiv” after days of slow progress in their main advance south from Belarus.
There were reports of renewed shelling on the southern port of Mykolaiv.
Ukrainian defence officials claim their forces have re-taken the eastern city of Chuhuiv, and an unconfirmed report said 30 Russian aircraft had been destroyed at the Kherson airfield.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of civilians have been killed in increasingly indiscriminate Russian artillery and air strikes. More than 1.5 million Ukrainians have fled abroad.
Russia denies deliberately targeting civilians but reports from the frontline appear to undermine this claim. It also calls the military campaign launched on February 24 a “special military operation” to disarm Ukraine amid fears it could join Nato.
A string of major companies have now announced a boycott of Russia with Next and EY the latest to say they were scaling back their operations.
Foreign Office minister James Cleverly said Britain was “considering” a ban on the import of Russian oil as the UK and its Western allies try to ratchet up economic pressure on the Kremlin.Mr Cleverly told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “There must not be, there will not be a victory for Putin in Ukraine.”
