Britain sending helicopters to Ukraine for first time - Ben Wallace

Britain is sending helicopters to Ukraine, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace has said, the archetypal piloted craft to beryllium sent by the UK since the warfare began.

Three erstwhile Sea King helicopters volition beryllium provided and the archetypal has already arrived, the BBC understands.

In the past six weeks, Ukrainian crews were trained successful the UK to alert and support the craft - to supply hunt and rescue capabilities.

Mr Wallace said the UK would besides nonstop an further 10,000 artillery rounds.

He made the announcement from Oslo, wherever helium is gathering allies to sermon ongoing subject enactment for Kyiv.

The defence caput said the artillery rounds would assistance the Ukrainian equipped forces unafraid recently-liberated territory.

The Sea King was antecedently utilized by some the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, with the past trade being retired by the Navy successful 2018.

Few countries person sent manned craft to Ukraine since the commencement of the conflict, and requests by its authorities for Western nations to nonstop combatant jets truthful acold stay unanswered.

At the weekend, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak used a sojourn to Kyiv to acceptable retired a caller £50m bundle of defence assistance which included 125 anti-aircraft guns and instrumentality to antagonistic Iranian-supplied drones.

That followed an announcement earlier this period that an further 1,000 surface-to-air missiles would beryllium sent.

The UK is besides supplying Ukrainian troops with wintertime equipment, including dense work sleeping bags and mats, arsenic good arsenic heated accommodation and cold-weather clothing.

Temperatures during wintertime tin autumn arsenic debased arsenic -20C successful parts of Ukraine.

Britain remains the 2nd largest donor of subject assistance to Ukraine aft the United States, and speaking from Oslo Mr Wallace said its enactment would stay "unwavering".

The travel to Oslo volition spot Mr Wallace big a gathering of the Northern Group - a UK-led inaugural to bolster defence practice betwixt the countries of bluish Europe - connected committee HMS Queen Elizabeth.

Defence ministers from crossed the portion are expected to sermon the implications of Russia's penetration of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland's applications for Nato membership, and the broader information representation for bluish Europe.