UK says Ukraine may attack Russian logistics, unlikely to use its weapons

British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace holds a press conference with Ukraine’s Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov at the Ministry of Defense amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine in London, Britain, March 21. 2022. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

LONDON, April 28 (Reuters) – British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said on Thursday it would be legitimate for Ukrainian forces to attack Russian logistics to cripple their supply of food, fuel and ammunition, but that they were unlikely to use weapons British to do it.

Tensions between Britain and Russia rose this week as Moscow accused London of provoking Ukraine to attack targets inside Russia and said there would be an immediate “proportionate response” if it went ahead. read more

Wallace said that under international law Ukraine had every right to defend itself.

“Obviously, part of the defense in this type of invasion is where Ukraine will go behind the supply lines of the Russian army because without fuel, food and ammunition, the Russian army stops and can no longer continue with its invasion,” he said. BBC television.

Britain has been a vocal supporter of Ukraine since it was attacked in late February, sending aid and weapons to help it repel its larger neighbor.

Wallace said Britain had sent artillery to Ukraine that was being used inside Ukraine against Russian forces, but added that it had not, and was unlikely to send, weapons that could be used for longer-range attacks.

He said it was unclear whether the attacks seen in Russia in recent weeks came from the Ukrainian state. He added that Ukraine had no British weapons that could do that.

Ukrainian forces, he said, tend to use mobile launchers while the British military would launch them from the air or sea.

“They don’t currently have any British weapons that can do that, so it’s unlikely to be our weapons,” he said. “It’s very unlikely that we’d supply that to anyone simply because of the technology and also because of the scarcity that we have of those capabilities. So it’s very unlikely.”

Wallace also denied NATO was involved in a proxy war with Russia, but said the West would provide increasing support for Ukraine if Russian attacks continued. “Sometimes that will include planes and tanks,” he told Times Radio.

Russia on Wednesday reported a series of explosions in the south of the country and a fire at an ammunition depot. read more

Russia has repeatedly criticized Britain’s military support for Ukraine, accusing it of wanting to prolong the conflict to weaken Moscow.

Responding to a similar British statement on Tuesday that Russian military targets inside Russia were fair game for Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova suggested British logic meant that, in theory, Russia also had the right to attack targets in NATO countries like Britain if they were related to arms deliveries to Ukraine.

Reporting by Kate Holton and Muvija M in London; edited by Michael Holden and Angus MacSwan

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