Why UK dey send Ukraine M270 multiple-launch rocket systems despite Russia warning

United Kingdom go send dia first long-range missiles to Ukraine, na so di defence secretary tok.

Dis dey come even as Russia don warn di west against dis kain move.

Ben Wallace tok why dem dey send di M270 multiple-launch rocket system go Ukraine.

E say di rocket system go help Ukraine defend itself against Russia.

UK goment neva confirm how many weapons dem go send, but BBC dey understand dem fit get dem three first.

Di decision dey in line wit US, wey also announce last week say e go supply one rocket system.

Di move by US don vex Moscow and on Sunday Russia President Vladimir Putin threaten to expand di list of targets Russia go attack for Ukraine if Western kontries send long-range weapons to Kyiv.

UK goment say di Ukrainian military go dey trained on how to use di launchers for UK in few weeks time.

As dem announce di move, Oga Wallace say UK dey take a leading role to supply Ukrainian troops wit di "vital weapons dem need to defend dia kontri from unprovoked invasion".

E say: "As Russia tactics change, na so we too must support Ukraine.

"These highly capable multiple-launch rocket systems go help our Ukrainian friends to protect themselves against di brutal use of long-range artillery, wey Putin forces dey use anyhow to flatten cities."

Britain and America dey lead di way in supplying to Ukraine, but giving dia advanced long range rockets mean change for dia tactics, na so BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale tok.

Dem also know say Ukraine dey struggle to compete against Russia vast artillery arsenal, e add.

For interview for Russia state TV on Sunday, President Putin say: "In general, all dis tok about additional arms supplies, for me na just one tin, - to drag di war as long as possible."

Di Russian leader say wetin US dey supply "no dey new".

But e warn against sending missiles wit longer range: "If dem dey supply, we go draw appropriate conclusions from dis and use our weapons, of which we get enough, to strike those targets wey we neva strike yet."

Di warning dey come as explosions shake parts of Kyiv on Sunday for di first assault on di capital city for weeks, as serious fight-fight for control of key towns and cities for di eastern Donbas region dey continue.

Russia refocus dia military efforts on Donbas at di end of March afta pulling back from di Kyiv region.

Some of di fiercest fighting dey currently for di eastern city of Severodonetsk. Capturing di city go deliver di Luhansk region to Russian forces and dia local separatist allies, wey also dey control much of neighbouring Donetsk.

Di two regions na dey form Donbas wey dey heavily industrial.

On Sunday, Ukraine president, Volodymyr Zelensky, say him bin visit front-line troops for di eastern Donbas region to di city of Lysychansk and di town of Soledar.

Britain and US dey among di kontries wey dey give arms to support Ukraine since Russia invade dem for February.

UK don deliver more dan 5,000 next generation light anti-tank weapons – wey dem dey call Nlaw – wey sabi pipo believe say dey critical to Ukraine driving back Russian ground assaults since di war start.

Oda weapon systems wey goment don deliver include short-range Brimstone 1 missiles, Mastiff armoured vehicles and Starstreak missile air defence systems - Di overall military support to Ukraine don cost £750m so far, di goment tok.

Several oda kontries don promise to send advanced weapons to Ukraine. Germany promise to send dia most modern air defence system - the Iris-T - to enable Ukraine shield an entire city from Russian air attacks.

Support for war crimes investigation

Meanwhile, dem dey offer one specialist team of lawyers and police officers to go assist di chief prosecutor wey dey investigate di alleged Russian war crimes for Ukraine, di Justice Secretary Dominic Raab announce on Monday.

Di offer go include one Metropolitan Police officer wey go dey stationed for di International Criminal Court for Hague, for Netherlands - to provide di ICC prosecutor Karim Khan wit greater access to British police and military expertise.

On top of dis, dem go give dem seven lawyers wey get experience in international criminal law to help uncover evidence of war crimes committed in Ukraine and prosecute those wey dey responsible.

Di ICC don already begin investigation wey fit target senior Russian officials wey dem feel dey responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity or genocide.

Dem reportand mass graves for towns and cities around Ukraine wey Russian forces being occupy - wey withdraw from around Kyiv and oda areas wey previously dem bin occupy to focus dia offensive for di east.