The UK will supply Ukraine with a third Sea King rescue helicopter, which can be used for both search and rescue and reconnaissance operations. This was announced on Thursday, April 13, by the broadcasting corporation BBC with reference to sources.
“The third Sea King is being prepared at a base in the south of England, which will be delivered to Ukraine in the coming weeks,” the publication says.
According to the BBC, the first two British Sea King helicopters have already been delivered to Ukraine. It is noted that these helicopters are more than 40 years old, one of them was also flown by the brother of the current King of Great Britain Charles III Prince Andrew during the Falklands War.
At the same time, the government in Kyiv requested modern fighter jets armed with long-range missiles to carry out a counteroffensive. However, the UK did not transfer any of its Typhoon fighters to Ukraine, limiting itself to Sea King helicopters.
“Meanwhile, the Ukrainian military says that they (helicopters. – Ed.) are important on the battlefield, as they are used to rescue the wounded, transfer troops and conduct reconnaissance,” the authors point out.
Ukrainian engineers trained in repair and maintenance of helicopters at a military base, having completed a six-week course under the guidance of the British Navy.
At the end of November, British Minister of Defense Ben Wallace announced plans to deliver Sea King helicopters to Kyiv at a meeting with allies in Oslo. He noted that the UK would send three such helicopters to Ukraine for the first time as military aid.
In the UK itself, helicopters are no longer produced. The country’s Navy completely stopped their operation in 2018.
Earlier, on April 5, it became known that Poland would transfer 14 MiG-2 fighters to Ukraine. As President of the Republic Andrzej Duda clarified, we are talking about old copies, as Warsaw plans to keep modern ones, upgraded to NATO standards.
In addition to Poland, Slovakia handed over the MiG-29 to Ukraine. The first four fighters were sent on 23 March.
Western countries have stepped up military and financial support for Ukraine after the start of Russia’s special operation to protect Donbass. The decision to hold it was announced on February 24, 2022 against the background of the aggravation of the situation in the region due to increased shelling by Ukrainian troops.
For more up-to-date videos and details about the situation in Donbass, watch the Izvestia TV channel.
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