Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Britain said it would develop new tactical ballistic missiles for Kiev and put “sophisticated weapons into the hands of Ukrainians” to help them fight Russia.
Codenamed Project Nightfall, the missiles will help drive Ukraine The missile has powerful firepower and is capable of striking targets deep inside Russia, the Defense Ministry said in a statement late Sunday.
The British Ministry of Defense announced that the “Nightfall” missile will carry a 200 kilogram conventional high-explosive warhead and will be sold for a maximum price of 800,000 pounds each, adding that it plans to produce 10 systems per month.
Days after Russia attacked Ukraine with a new hypersonic Oreshnik missile, hitting a city about 60 miles from the border with NATO member Poland, European leaders condemned the incident as a “clear escalation” and an attempt to “instill fear.”
The Ministry of Defense said: “Under Project Nightfall, the UK has launched a competition to rapidly develop a land-based ballistic missile with a range of over 500 kilometers, designed to operate in high-threat battlefields with severe electromagnetic interference.”
The Nightfall missile will allow Ukrainian forces to hit military targets before Russia can respond, as the new weapon will be “capable of being launched from a series of vehicles, firing multiple missiles in rapid succession and retreating within minutes.”
minister of defense John Healy It said the UK was determined to equip the Ukrainians with advanced weapons “if they fight back”.
“Thursday night’s attack shows that Putin believes he can target civilian areas with impunity with advanced weapons,” Healey said of the Oreshnik attack.
“Instead of seriously negotiating peace, he has seriously escalated his illegal war,” he added.
Healy said he was close to Lviv when he traveled to Kiev last week and heard air raid sirens.
“This is a serious moment and a stark reminder that drones and missiles attacked Ukrainians in sub-zero conditions,” he said.
Luke PollardBritain’s new long-range missiles “will keep Ukraine in the fight” and give Russia “one more thing to worry about”, the Defense Readiness and Industry Secretary said.
“In 2026, we will continue to fight alongside Ukraine,” the minister said. “Equipping them to continue fighting today while working to ensure peace tomorrow.”
According to the MoD, Project Nightfall builds on the UK’s commitment to enhancing Kiev’s long-range strike capabilities and informs the UK’s own future projects armed forces.
The project will be awarded to three industry teams, each of which will receive a “£9 million development contract to design, develop and deliver the first three missiles for test firing within 12 months”.