Britain is set to ‘put leading edge weapons into the hands of Ukrainians’ with powerful long-range ballistic missiles that can destroy Russian targets more than 300 miles away.
Nightfall rockets – which are packed with 200kg warheads, can be fired in quick succession and reach as far as Moscow – could prove a valuable asset in Volodymyr Zelensky’s ongoing fight against Vladimir Putin‘s forces.
Now British firms are being sought by the Ministry of Defence to design, develop and deliver the first three test missiles in a contract worth £9million.
Hailing the potential of the new weapon, Defence Secretary John Healey told The Sun: ‘You defend your cities by having layers of defence and you partly defend by being able to attack.’
The Labour minister made the comments while on a visit to Kyiv – and just moments after narrowly avoiding a Russian missile and drone attack in the area on Thursday, which killed four people.
Describing how the train he was travelling on was forced to make an emergency stop, he said: ‘It was a serious moment and a stark reminder of the barrage of drones and missiles hitting Ukrainians in sub-zero conditions.
‘We won’t stand for this and are determined to put leading edge weapons into the hands of Ukrainians as they fight back.’
The announcement of the Nightall project comes as the Defence Secretary also revealed the UK will spend £200 million preparing British troops for deployment to Ukraine in the event of a ceasefire with Russia.
The Defence Secretary has said Nightfall missiles will ‘put leading edge weapons into the hands of Ukrainians’. Pictured: Volodymyr Zelensky meets with John Healey, amid Russia’s attack on Ukraine, in Kyiv, Ukraine on January 9
Nightfall rockets are packed with 200kg warheads, can be fired in quick succession and reach as far as Moscow
British firms are being sought by the Ministry of Defence to design, develop and deliver the first three test missiles in a contract worth £9million
John Healey was on a visit to Ukriane to discuss plans for the Multinational Force Ukraine with President Zelensky.
The money will pay for upgrades to vehicles and communications systems, counter-drone protection, and other equipment to ensure troops are ready to deploy.
Healey said: ‘We are surging investment into our preparations following the Prime Minister’s announcement this week, ensuring that Britain’s armed forces are ready to deploy, and lead, the Multinational Force Ukraine, because a secure Ukraine means a secure UK.’
Earlier this week, Russia unleashed a terrifying nuclear-capable missile on Ukraine.
After the meeting Mr Zelensky said he was ‘grateful’ for the UK’s support, adding: ‘It is crucial that the framework for ending the war includes a clear response from the allies should Russian aggression be repeated.’
On Wednesday Sir Keir Starmer pledged to send troops to Ukraine as part of a ‘reassurance force’ organised by the ‘coalition of the willing’.
The size of the western force, which will also include soldiers from France, has not yet been announced, nor has the Government provided details of how many British personnel it expects to deploy.
Reports have suggested the whole force could amount to just 15,000 men, with the UK providing half the total.
The announcement for the powerful weapons came just a day after Russia unleashed a terrifying nuclear-capable missile on Ukraine
On Thursday night Russia launched a huge wave of drones and missiles against Ukraine, striking civilian targets and energy infrastructure. Pictured: Firefighters stand in front of a building in Kyiv that was hit during a night of Russian drone and missile attacks
But in the Commons on Wednesday, Mr Healey declined to give details, saying it would ‘only make Putin wiser’.
On Friday, Mr Healey also announced that production would start this month on new Octopus drones for Ukraine, designed to intercept other drones used by Russia to attack civilian targets.
The UK aims to produce thousands of the drones per month, with each Octopus costing just 10% of the drones they are designed to intercept.
On Thursday night, Russia launched a huge wave of drones and missiles against Ukraine, striking civilian targets and energy infrastructure.
The attack involved more than 200 drones and 20 missiles, according to a British Defence Intelligence assessment, including an experimental hypersonic Oreshnik missile launched against Lviv, in western Ukraine.
The Oreshnik, an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM), is believed to have been fired from 1,000 miles away and well within Russian territory.
The menacing attack close to NATO and EU territory was aimed at Europe’s largest underground gas storage facility, it is believed.
There is no suggestion the overnight Oreshnik strike was nuclear – despite its atomic capability.
The menacing attack close to NATO and EU territory was aimed at Europe’s largest underground gas storage facility, it is believed
Defence Intelligence said Moscow was likely to have only a ‘handful’ of Oreshnik missiles (pictured) which cost far more than other missiles
Putin claims targets are incinerated by conventional Oreshnik missiles unleashing a temperature of 4,000C, almost as hot as the surface of the sun.
Production of IRBMs was banned by the 1987 Intermediate Nuclear Forces Treaty between the US and Russia, but the treaty collapsed in 2019 amid repeated accusations of Russian non-compliance.
Defence Intelligence said Moscow was likely to have only a ‘handful’ of Oreshnik missiles, which cost far more than other missiles it has used to attack Ukraine, adding its use was ‘almost certainly intended as strategic messaging’.
