Ex-British army commander condemns armoured vehicle transfer to Ukraine

General Sir Richard DannattThe former head of the British Army has condemned a decision to deliver dozens of redundant British military armoured vehicles to the Ukrainian government as “nothing short of immoral”, The Telegraph reported on Saturday. General Sir Richard Dannatt, who served as Chief of the Defence Staff between 2006 and 2009, said the Saxon armoured vehicles, which the Ukranian military are planning to convert for use in their fight against Russian-backed separatist forces – are “quite useless”. Ukranian sources said that 20 Saxons have been delivered to Ukraine, with another 55 expected to arrive soon. Although the Ministry of Defense would not confirm the figures, it said the vehicles, which were transferred to the Ukrainians under a 2013 deal which predates the current conflict, were not equipped with lethal weapons. It insisted the delivery did not represent an escalation of British involvement in Ukraine. But Gen Sir Richard, who acted as David Cameron’s defence adviser between November 2009 and the general election in May 2010, said the vehicles should not have been transferred to the Ukranians in the first place, as they were not fit for purpose. He told The Telegraph: “I took these out of service by the UK Army in 2005/6 as completely unsuitable for current operations, so I find it incredible that they are being sold/gifted to Ukraine. I am incensed by the thought we are supplying, even via a 3rd party, SAXON APCs to the hapless Ukrainians. “They are quite useless, semi-armored lorries that should be nowhere near anyone’s front line." He said that it was "nothing short of immoral” to present the transfer of the vehicles as a "good news story" for the Ukrainians. Gen Sir Richard added:"My concern is the inadequate nature of these vehicles which I ordered out of British Army front line service when I was Commander in Chief Land Command 2005-2006. They were withdrawn from Iraq and never deployed in southern Afghanistan. "To suggest that the UK is making a significant gesture of support by supplying vehicles which we took out of service ten years ago, because we deemed them unsafe, seems bizarre at best and downright dangerous at worst." The Ukranian authorities have made it clear they fully intend to use the vehicles in their struggle against the separatists.

London - MENA

The former head of the British Army has condemned a decision to deliver dozens of redundant British military armoured vehicles to the Ukrainian government as “nothing short of immoral”, The Telegraph reported on Saturday.
General Sir Richard Dannatt, who served as Chief of the Defence Staff between 2006 and 2009, said the Saxon armoured vehicles, which the Ukranian military are planning to convert for use in their fight against Russian-backed separatist forces – are “quite useless”.
Ukranian sources said that 20 Saxons have been delivered to Ukraine, with another 55 expected to arrive soon.
Although the Ministry of Defense would not confirm the figures, it said the vehicles, which were transferred to the Ukrainians under a 2013 deal which predates the current conflict, were not equipped with lethal weapons.
It insisted the delivery did not represent an escalation of British involvement in Ukraine.
But Gen Sir Richard, who acted as David Cameron’s defence adviser between November 2009 and the general election in May 2010, said the vehicles should not have been transferred to the Ukranians in the first place, as they were not fit for purpose.
He told The Telegraph: “I took these out of service by the UK Army in 2005/6 as completely unsuitable for current operations, so I find it incredible that they are being sold/gifted to Ukraine. I am incensed by the thought we are supplying, even via a 3rd party, SAXON APCs to the hapless Ukrainians.
“They are quite useless, semi-armored lorries that should be nowhere near anyone’s front line."
He said that it was "nothing short of immoral” to present the transfer of the vehicles as a "good news story" for the Ukrainians.
Gen Sir Richard added:"My concern is the inadequate nature of these vehicles which I ordered out of British Army front line service when I was Commander in Chief Land Command 2005-2006. They were withdrawn from Iraq and never deployed in southern Afghanistan.
"To suggest that the UK is making a significant gesture of support by supplying vehicles which we took out of service ten years ago, because we deemed them unsafe, seems bizarre at best and downright dangerous at worst."
The Ukranian authorities have made it clear they fully intend to use the vehicles in their struggle against the separatists.