By Lucy Caulkett-
An estimated 8,000 British soldiers are due to be sent to eastern Europe to take part in military exercises designed to combat Russian aggression.
The deployment is one of the largest to take place since the Cold War – will see troops placed in countries from Finland to North Macedonia.
Accompanying the soldiers will be some 120 British Warrior armoured personnel carriers, 72 Challenger 2 tanks and a dozen AS-90 guns will be sent to countries including Finland, Poland, Estonia and Lithuania.
That news came as UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres visited devastated towns around Kyiv on Wednesday.
Dozens of tanks and more than 100 armoured fighting vehicles will also be sent to the locations this summer under plans that have been bolstered since the war in Ukraine began.
Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney spoke movingly about her children with Hollywood star husband George as she urged the United Nations to deliver justice on Russian war crimes in Ukraine.
Mrs Clooney called on countries to speed-up investigations so evidence does not languish in storage – as it has for victims of Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
“Ukraine is, today, a slaughterhouse, right in the heart of Europe,” Mrs Clooney told the Security Council in New York.
“Putin’s aggressive war is so outrageous that even after repeated warnings from the US and Russia’s long criminal record, Ukrainians couldn’t believe that this could happen.”
The armed forces will be joined by tens of thousands of troops from NATO and Joint Expeditionary Force allies, which include the likes of Denmark, Iceland and Norway.
The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the planned exercises will improve the ability of UK and Finnish troops to work alongside each other “deterring Russian aggression in Scandinavia and the Baltic states”.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the move will show “solidarity and strength
“The security of Europe has never been more important. These exercises will see our troops join forces with allies and partners across NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force in a show of solidarity and strength in one of the largest shared deployments since the Cold War,” he said.
“Operating across Europe, the British Army will stand alongside partners, combining our capabilities and shared values, promoting peace and security.”
Some of the exercises are set to involve parachute drops, helicopter-borne air assaults Challenger 2 tanks.
The drills aim to “showcase the scale and significance of the British Army’s contribution to the defence of Europe”, the MoD added.
Commander Field Army Lieutenant General Ralph Wooddisse explained: “The UK makes a significant contribution to the defence of Europe and the deterrence of Russian aggression. The British Army’s series of exercises is fundamental to both.
“The scale of the deployment, coupled with the professionalism, training and agility of the British Army, will deter aggression at a scale not seen in Europe this century.”