LONDON, November 7. /TASS/. The UK may use the full range of available forces and means, "from fighter jets to infantry," if it participates in combat or peacekeeping operations in Ukraine after the conflict with Russia ends, The Guardian reported, citing military sources.
The newspaper cited the position of UK servicemen in the context of a discussion on the advisability of using Ajax armored fighting vehicles on the front lines. The Guardian specified that the vehicles were delivered to the British Army eight years behind schedule, and their usefulness on a battlefield dominated by drones is questionable. Despite the criticism, the UK military believes the equipment was designed for conflicts unlike the one in Ukraine. "We wouldn’t fight like the Ukrainians," Ajax commander Andrew Rawlinson told the newspaper. He believes that using this equipment in positional warfare would be ineffective.
According to the newspaper's sources, the UK army could enter into any war or participate in peacekeeping operations after the end of the conflict in Ukraine or in other regions "with allies and use a full range of military capabilities, from fighter jets to infantry."
In October, UK Defense Secretary John Healey said Britain was not abandoning the idea of sending troops to Ukraine after hostilities end, estimating the cost of deployment at more than 100 million pounds (135 million dollars).
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov previously stated that the presence of NATO troops on Ukrainian soil, under any flag and in any capacity, poses a threat to Russia. According to him, Russia will not accept this under any circumstances.