UK to deliver long-range missiles to Ukraine as Russia launches airstrikes on Kyiv

In a bid to support Ukraine's fight against Russian invasion, the United Kingdom has announced to deliver its first long-range missiles to the war-torn nation. This comes as Russia has attacked the outskirts of the national capital Kyiv for the first time since April, Britain is set to provide an undefined number of M270 launchers, which can shoot precision-guided rockets up to 50 miles, according to Defence Secretary Ben Wallace. 

Wallace asserted in a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), "The UK stands with Ukraine in this fight and is taking a leading role in supplying its heroic troops with the vital weapons they need to defend their country from unprovoked invasion”. He went on to say that he believes Ukraine will win if the global community continues to support it, the Independent reported.

The Defence Secretary further claimed, “As Russia’s tactics change, so must our support to Ukraine. These highly capable multiple-launch rocket systems will enable our Ukrainian friends to better protect themselves against the brutal use of long-range artillery, which Putin’s forces have used indiscriminately to flatten cities.” He informed that Ukrainian forces will be trained in the United Kingdom on how to utilise weaponry. 

Furthermore, the decision to give the launchers, according to the MoD, was closely coordinated with the United States administration, which announced that it would equip Ukraine with 'High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems'.  

Russian cruise missiles targeted a railway depot in Kyiv's eastern Dniprovsky district

Russian cruise missiles targeted a railway depot in Kyiv's eastern Dniprovsky district in the early hours of Sunday morning. Ukraine said the attack struck a train car maintenance facility, while Moscow claimed it had destroyed tanks delivered to Ukraine by eastern European countries. 

According to The Guardian, one person was taken to the hospital, and a column of smoke soared to the heights of the capital. Five cruise missiles were fired from Tu-95 bombers, one of which was intercepted, according to Ukraine's air force, in an attack that marked a shift in Russian strategy.  

Meanwhile, a Ukrainian official reported that Russian bombings in the eastern city of Druzhkivka damaged structures and killed at least one person. Residents reported as they witnessed rubble and glass dropping all around them. 

Apart from this, on June 5, Russian troops killed three people in the Donetsk Oblast. According to Donetsk Oblast Governor Pavlo Kyrylenko, two additional individuals were hurt. The Russian military has even shelled Kharkiv. The Russian military is actively bombarding residential neighbourhoods in Kharkiv, according to Kharkiv Oblast Governor Oleh Synyehubov. 

(Image: Nicholadrummond/ Twitter/ AP)