Defence Secretary Ben Wallace
(Picture: PA Wire)Britain is deploying a missile defence system to Nato ally Poland to deter Russian attacks after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace announced on Thursday.
During a visit to the Polish capital Warsaw, he said the UK is sending the Sky Sabre medium-range anti-air missile system to Poland with about 100 personnel.
He stressed the move is “to make sure that we stand alongside Poland in protecting her airspace from any further aggression from Russia”.
Mr Wallace added: “As a Nato ally and a very old ally, it is very right that Britain stands by Poland as Poland carries much of the burden of the consequence of this war and stands tall and brave to stand up to the threats from Russia.”
The decision comes days after Russian missiles struck a military base in Yavoriv, Ukraine, just a few miles from the border with Poland.
At least 35 people were said to have been killed, including three British ex-special forces members.
The British missile deployment comes as nearly two million of the more than three million refugees to flee Ukraine have arrived in Poland.
The UK has already sent hundreds of anti-tank weapons to Ukraine which have been used by its troops to destroy Russian convoys.
It is also giving the Ukrainian government a number of Starstreak missiles after its president Volodymyr Zelensky appealed for more help to defend the skies above his country.
Nato has rejected his request to impose a no-fly zone over Ukraine, amid fears that it could spark a wider European war.
However, Russia’s forces have failed to gain control of the skies over the war zone, hampering the advance of its ground troops.
Poland offered to fly its fleet of Soviet-designed MiG 29 aircraft to a US air base in Germany so they could be forwarded to the Ukrainian air force, with America then supplying Poland with replacement fighter jets.
But Washington rejected the proposal amid fears it would be seen as a Nato move which could have sent the conflict spiralling.
