Ukrainians celebrate after shooting down Russian drone with UK-made missile
A Ukrainian soldier sparked cheers from his fellow troops after they successfully shot down a Russian drone with a British-made missile.
Footage has emerged of a soldier from the 95th Air Assault Brigade firing the laser-guided Starstreak missile, which travels at more than three times the speed of sound at the Russian Orion drone in Ukraine on April 9.
Another troop was seen swearing at the wreckage with his middle finger as it tumbled from the sky, shouting: "There's contact, we destroyed the s**t."
Ukrainian soldier Yuriy Kochevenko, who posted the video online on April 10, thanked Britain for supplying the missile system, claiming that Kyiv uses 'support of allies effectively'.
Soldier Kochevenko said: "Successful combat use of Starstreak man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS) in the Ukrainian-Russian war.
"Air defence destroyed the Russian UAV Orlan. This is the greeting of Ukrainian paratroopers to Boris Johnson. Thank you, Britain.
"We use the support of allies effectively, send more of it. For our freedom and yours!"
Britain is supplying and training Ukrainian troops in the use of the high-velocity anti-air missiles as well as providing body armour, helmets and combat boots.
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The General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces has since confirmed on Facebook that troops used the UK-made weapon to destroy another drone on April 10.
The military wrote: "In Kharkiv region, the air defence unit of a separate airborne assault brigade with British-made MANPADS 'Starstreak' successfully destroyed another Russian UAV 'Orlan-10'."
The news comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged to send Ukraine over £100million worth of weapons and will work to get more tanks to Kyiv.
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He also revealed plans to distribute high-tech supplies including more Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank rockets and drones during a joint press conference with German chancellor Olaf Scholz on Friday.
The PM said: "I'm in principle willing to consider anything by way of defensive weaponry to help the Ukrainians protect themselves and their people.
"I think it's important that we should be giving equipment that is genuinely useful and is operable by Ukrainians, that's our consideration."
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