Britain announces additional weapons for Ukraine

July 21 (UPI) -- Britain said Thursday it will supply Kyiv with more weapons, including artillery guns, drones and anti-tank weapons as Russia continues to batter eastern Ukraine.

The defense ministry announced the move in a statement, saying the weapons will be delivered in the coming weeks.

"The scale and range of equipment we are providing demonstrates the strength of our resolve," Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said. "Together with our international partners, we will ensure Ukraine has the tools to defend their country from [Russian President Vladimir] Putin's illegal invasion."

Weapons that the ministry said will be delivered shortly to Ukraine include more than 20 M109 155mm self-propelled guns and 36 L119 105mm artillery guns.

It will also be sending counter-battery radar systems and more than 50,000 rounds of Soviet-era artillery ammunition. More than 1,600 anti-tank weapons will be sent in the coming weeks as well as drones, including loitering aerial munitions, it said.

Britain has already sent Ukraine some 6,900 anti-tank weapons, 16,000 artillery rounds, six armored vehicles fitted with missile launchers and hundreds of missiles as well as non-lethal supplies of helmets, body armor and night vision devices.

The announcement on Thursday also comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced in June that Britain would be providing an additional $1.1 billion in military aid to Ukraine for a total of $2.7 billion that it has supplied Kyiv since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 23.

On Thursday, Russia said it has achieved several military victories in eastern Ukraine where Kremlin forces are seeking to capture more land outside the Donbas, which is comprised of Luhansk and Donetsk regions.

Since the war began, democratic countries, including the United States, have been applying punitive sanctions against Russia and arming Ukraine.

According to a statement from the U.S. Department of Defense, the United States has committed some $7.6 billion in security assistance to Ukraine amid the Biden administration, including $6.9 billion since the war began.