UK Special Forces, Diplomats Ransacking World To Find Munitions For Ukraine - Reports

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 08th March, 2023) The United Kingdom's Special Forces, intelligence and foreign ministry are in a concerted action to find munitions for Ukrainian artillery wherever they can around the world, including the black market, UK daily Express reported on Wednesday, citing sources.

Earlier in the week, the New York Times reported that the UK Defense Ministry had created a special secret task force that should acquire shells for the Soviet-made artillery guns used by Kiev.

A team of 12 first-class British Special Forces soldiers, assisted by intelligence officers and foreign office employees, is scouring countries that, according to their information, have 122-millimeter shells for Ukraine's howitzers, the newspaper said.

The special forces have been called in to search for ammunition in recent weeks due to a severe shortage faced by Kiev, the newspaper has learned. London's agents pretend to be buyers of weapons and carry "substantial amounts of cash.

" They are coordinating meetings with middlemen to get shells from the black market, according to the report.

The group has been to such countries as Angola, Egypt, Jordan, Kazakhstan and Vietnam. Sources told the newspaper that at least one large tranche had been received from one European country on Tuesday. The team has reportedly managed to buy shells from a Pakistani factory, however the planned delivery of 40,000 shells did not happen due to alleged quality control issues.

In late November, the Royal United Services Institute published a piece of research, arguing that if the UK had used as much artillery shells as the Ukrainian army, it would have run out of them in a week.

Western countries ramped up their military support for Ukraine after Russia launched a special military operation there on February 24, 2022. The Kremlin has repeatedly warned against further escalation leading to the US and NATO's direct involvement in the conflict.