Former Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson has called for greater western assistance to Ukraine, including the UK supplying Kyiv with long-range missiles to “bring the war to an end”.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said he constantly reviews the “weapon systems we could provide” and is “open-minded to seeing what we do next” should Russia continue to attack civilian areas and break the Geneva Conventions.
However, Downing Street indicated the UK is not planning to provide long-range missiles to Ukraine.
“You will know that the military equipment that we provide to Ukraine is for use in Ukraine to enable it to defend itself against the illegal invasion,” said Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s official spokesman.
“I’m not aware of any plans to alter that approach but obviously we keep these things under review.”
Ukraine war latest — in pictures
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The coffin of Valeriy Krasnyan is brought out of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery in Kyiv. Getty Images -
Repairmen work near a residential building damaged following a missile attack in Vyshgorod, outside of Kyiv. AFP -
An elderly man walks in front of a residential building damaged following a missile attack in Vyshgorod. AFP -
A boy kisses a dog while he charges his phone at the heating tent dubbed a Point of Invincibly in Bucha, Ukraine. AP -
A couple uses a laptop in the heating tent. AP -
Workers dig out a tire from the rubble of a destroyed storage building at a grain processing center so they can use it for repairs in Siversk, Donetsk region. Reuters -
The Chernihiv region found itself on the frontline of Russia's invasion in February, when Moscow's forces were attempting to quickly seize Kyiv. Getty -
Russia ultimately retreated from northern Ukraine to focus its attack on the east and south. Getty -
The city of Chernihiv on November 28, 2022 in Chernihiv, Ukraine. Getty -
A worker fits in new windows of a building in Chernihiv. Getty -
People receive food from AFAT - Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency in Chernihiv. Getty -
The people Chernihiv queue up for hot food. Getty -
Oleksandr Antonenko stands on a balcony of his apartment damaged by a recent Russian military strike in Kherson. Reuters -
Mr Antonenko and his mother Liudmyla inside their apartment recently damaged by a Russian military strike in Kherson. Reuters -
A woman walks in an underpass in Kyiv, on November 26, 2022. AFP -
Friends hug after the arrival of a train in the southern city of Kherson. Getty -
Residents sort through donated clothing at an aid centre in Kherson. Getty -
A Ukrainian soldier stands with a machinegun near Liman in the Donetsk region. AP -
Children attend a physical education class at Spilno School in Kyiv. Getty -
A woman embraces her friend, a soldier in the Ukrainian army, in Kherson. AFP -
Residents inspect a crater left by a Russian military strike in the village of Komyshuvakha in the Zaporizhzhia region. Reuters -
Resident Tetiana Reznychenko walks past a work by world-renowned graffiti artist Banksy, on the wall of a destroyed building in the Ukrainian village of Horenka. Reuters -
Ukrainian soldiers fire artillery at Russian positions near Bakhmut in the Donetsk region. AP -
A fisherman sails his boat on the Dnipro as black smoke rises from an oil reserve in Kherson. AFP
Speaking in the House of Commons during defence questions, Mr Johnson said: “The House will know that supplies of British, American and other western equipment have been absolutely vital in helping our Ukrainian friends to protect themselves against continuing and merciless Russian attacks, and I thank him and the government for all that they have done and continue to do.
“Does he agree with me that we and our allies must help our Ukrainian friends not just to take out the drones and missiles, and that means supplying them with anti-aircraft systems and fixed-wing aircraft to help shoot them down, but also to take out the launch sites of those missiles and drones by supplying the Ukrainians with the use of longer-range missile systems such as ATACMS [Army Tactical Missile System] because that is the way truly to protect our Ukrainian friends and to bring the war to an end as soon as possible?”
Antonov AN-225 destroyed by Russia in Ukraine — in pictures
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The wreckage of an Antonov AN-225, the world's biggest aircraft, sits under a steel shelter at Gostomel airfield near Kyiv in April 2022. EPA -
The cargo plane, named Mriya (which means Dream in Ukrainian), was destroyed during a heavy battle with Russian troops at the airfield earlier this year. Reuters -
The Soviet-era plane was a symbol of Ukraine's identity and was cherished by aviation enthusiasts. AP -
Poland's Minister of Interior and Administration Mariusz Kaminski stands near the heavily damaged plane on the outskirts of Kyiv. AP -
The Ukrainian plane had six engines, 32 wheels and wingspan that matched the length of a football pitch. AP -
A Ukrainian man searches for unexploded explosives near the damaged plane. AP -
The aircraft's role in the aviation industry took on greater significance amid the coronavirus pandemic, as it delivered tonne after tonne of vital aid to countries worldwide. AP -
The Mriya entered commercial service in 2001 and was originally developed to transport the Energiya carrier-rocket and Buran space shuttle. AP -
The aircraft could carry a maximum payload of 250,000 kilograms, and had a wingspan of 88 metres. Its size meant it could fit a helicopter or haulage lorry inside. AFP -
Ukrainian soldiers stand in front of the destroyed plane. Reuters -
The aircraft was more than seven metres longer than a Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental and 11 metres longer than the Airbus A380-800, the largest passenger plane. AFP -
It was the only Antonov An-225 in the world. AP -
A second version was in the making and reached about 70 per cent completion in the mid-2000s before progress was halted because of the cost involved. AP -
Since its first flight in 1988, it claimed 242 world records, according to Antonov Airlines. AP -
The Mriya touched down at Dubai's Al Maktoum International Airport in May 2016 after visiting Perth in Australia to deliver a 117-tonne generator. AFP -
The Mriya was so large that the length of its cargo hold was longer than the Wright brothers’ first flight, from take-off to landing. Reuters -
It cost around $30,000 an hour to hire the plane. Reuters
Mr Wallace paid tribute to Mr Johnson, saying: “Without my right honourable friend’s support to me and Ukraine, none of this would have been possible and I want to place on record my great appreciation for his support through that process.
“He’s absolutely right that the Russians are taking advantage of the short-range capability of the Ukrainian armed forces by using these Iranian kamikaze drones.”
The mass targeting of civilian critical infrastructure is not only a war crime, but is a war crime that must not go unpunished, he added.
EU proposes special court to investigate Russia's actions in Ukraine — video
“I constantly review the weapon systems we could provide. I hear his call on ATACMS from the United States,” said Mr Wallace.
“We, too, have in our armoury potential weapon systems that are longer and, should the Russians continue to target civilian areas and try and break those Geneva Conventions, then I will be open-minded to seeing what we do next.”
