United Kingdom sends AS90 Howitzers and 45,000 shells to Ukraine

UK will send 20 AS90 SPHs and 45,000 shells to Ukraine for what senior generals expect will become the largest artillery campaign since the Second World War.

 

Accoridng to the British EXPRESS media source, that 45,000 British-made high explosive shells will be sent along with the AS90 self-propelled Howitzers to Poland this week, where Ukrainian forces will be taught to use and maintain them before they are deployed to the front.

PM Boris Johnson announced that the UK would be sending artillery last week, following an appeal from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for more firepower to counter Russia’s new offensive in the eastern Donbas region.

“This will become an artillery conflict, they need support with more artillery, that is what we will be giving them," he said.

“There are many other friends in Europe, but I’m talking about volumes of help and I’m grateful for it.”

Ukraine is also receiving 90 towed Howitzers from the US and 188,000 shells - enough for three weeks of intensive operations - as part of a wide-ranging £620m defence package which includes target acquisition drones.

France is sending 40 self-propelled Caesar artillery guns.