British government has approved the provision of a fleet of armored vehicles "to rescue civilians from besieged areas". In a statement from the UK's foreign affairs office, there are 13 armored vehicles from its fleet mentioned.
Apparently, the UK government is sending a dozen of protective armored vehicles to "safely evacuate people from the shelled areas in east of the country". Precisely, a fleet of 13 highly specialized, steel-plated 4x4s will be donated. According to the statement, these are resistant to high-velocity bullets, anti-personnel mines and improvised explosive devices, namely "all tactics which have been used by Russian forces to slaughter civilians".
Read more: UK Will Provide a New Package of Military Support for Ukraine
The vehicles are protected by steel plating, with reinforced glass, enhanced suspension and upgraded brakes, and include internal VHF 2-way radio for long-range communication outdoors.
As follows, it was a "direct request from the Ukraine government" to provide safe and resilient transport for civilians, for evacuation above all. Those could be used, in particular, for the evacuation from the besieged city of Mariupol, where approximately a few hundred civilians are trapped while russians shell and bomb the Azovstal steel plant.
The vehicles will also be used to transport officials from Ukrainian ministries to temporary command in besieged areas, as well as by Ukrainian police and the National Guard to rebuild vital railway lines in the east of Ukraine.
The armored vehicles will start to arrive in the east of Ukraine "in the coming days".
The announcement comes right after the decision to provide additional military aid to Ukraine. At the same time, Israel considers sending more military and civilian aid to Ukraine, while Germany adopts a powerful and long-awaited decision to supply heavy weaponry to the embattled country.
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