An Su-24 dropped four high-explosive fragmentation bombs as a warning to HMS Defender as it sailed close to Russian territorial waters in the Black Sea
Alan Tovey – The Telegraph June 23, 2021
British shipbuilding has been boosted by a deal with the Ukraine navy as the former Soviet bloc nation comes under increasing pressure from Vladimir Putin.
The agreement outlined plans to sell British missiles and training to the Ukraine navy, jointly develop and produce eight small missile warships and work with Babcock to equip Ukraine with new frigates and port facilities.
Britain will also sell two of the Royal Navy’s Sandown-class minesweepers to Ukraine after their refurbishment, and will help the country develop new naval bases after Russia’s annexation of the Crimea meant Ukraine lost much of its shipbuilding industry.
The “memorandum of implementation” was signed by Jeremy Quin, the defence procurement minister, First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Tony Radakin and Ukraine’s deputy defence minister, Oleksandr Myroniuk, aboard HMS Defender in Odessa on Monday but details were only released on Wednesday.
HMS Defender, a Type 45 destroyer, was in the Black Sea as part of the deployment of the carrier strike group.
HMS Defender. Click to enlarge
On Wednesday morning Russian media reported that the country’s military fired warning shots at HMS Defender, claiming it had entered Russian territorial waters near Crimea.
The reports, which were disputed by the Ministry of Defence, claimed a patrol ship fired warning shots and a jet dropped bombs in its path.
Two years ago Babcock was selected to build the Type 31 frigate for the Royal Navy, a low-cost vessel aimed at bolstering the UK fleet and winning export orders.
Nicknamed the “budget battleship”, the Type 31 costs £250m and will be built for the Royal Navy by Babcock at its Rosyth shipyard in Scotland.
The memorandum hints that Type 31s for Ukraine could be produced at Rosyth until Ukraine’s own facilities are capable of the work.
Military sources say that at least two of the eight fast missile warships Ukraine wants will be built by Babcock before a “technology transfer” allows domestic production.
David Lockwood, chief executive of Babcock, said: “We are very proud to support Ukraine with their naval capabilities enhancement programme.
“This marks the beginning of a new international relationship for Babcock, bringing together our new ship capability, our infrastructure and support capability and our new strong relationship with the UK Government.”
No details of the potential value of the agreement were given but one insider described the deal as being worth hundreds of millions of pounds to Babcock.
Export sales to Ukraine are being underwritten by UK Export Finance, the arm’s-length government organisation that provides guarantees for foreign sales and picks up the tab if the buyer does not pay.
Economic considerations and domestic politics aside.
The British are doing to the Ukrainians what they did to the Poles in 1939 – winding them up into a confrontation with a power with which the British want a war.
And like 1939, the patsy gets crushed, but the British get the war that they want.
Well ?? Ukraine IS controlled by the jews (Hence Biden Jr showing up here).
Britain is of course also controlled by the fiends (much of the Aristocracy has intermarriage with the jews at some point)
Meantime Britain is spending bucket loads of cash on warships while the average Briton is paid less than most in western Europe.And then there are things like the totally absurd rail fares with cnuts like Branstein raking it in……and the British sheeple tolerate being ripped off left right and centre!!!!!.
Alan ! Crimea was always Russian ! It’s that piece of crap going by name Khrushchev that put Crimea to Ukraine, being himself an Ukrainian piece of crap ! So whatever you think Alan ! Crimea was Russian since 1783 ?
Did I post a comment here yesterday?