UK to send Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine, Rishi Sunak confirms

The UK is to send Challenger 2 tanks to Ukraine to bolster the country’s war effort, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has said.

He spoke to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in a call on Saturday, during which he confirmed he would send the equipment and additional artillery systems, No 10 said.

Downing Street said the move shows “the UK’s ambition to intensify support.”

The BBC understands the initial commitment is for about a dozen tanks.

President Zelensky has thanked the UK, saying that the decision to send the tanks “will not only strengthen us on the battlefield, but also send the right signal to other partners”.

He said the UK’s support was “always strong” and was “now impenetrable”.

Mr Sunak said the Challengers, the British Army’s main battle tank, would help Kyiv’s forces “push Russian troops back”.

No 10 said that during the call, Mr Sunak and Mr Zelensky also discussed also recent Ukrainian victories, as well as the “need to seize on this moment with an acceleration of global military and diplomatic support”.

Shadow defence secretary John Healey said the government had “Labour’s fullest backing” for the decision.

He said: “Modern tanks are crucial to Ukraine’s efforts to win its battle against Russian aggression.”