Ukraine has released a video
paying tribute to the support it has received from the United Kingdom in its
defence against Vladimir Putin’s invasion, complete with a soundtrack by
The Clash and shots of Russian tanks being destroyed by British-built NLAWs.
The United Kingdom has been
one of Ukraine’s most stalwart allies in the face of Russian aggression – along
with Poland, Estonia and Latvia and others – committing nearly £3billion
in humanitarian aid and grants.
That includes 120 armoured
vehicles, air defence systems and more than 6,500 of the now-famous NLAW
anti-tank missiles, according to a government website.
The weapons systems have been
put to good use by Ukraine’s NATO-trained army as they have laid waste to an
estimated 1,000 Russian tanks – even bringing the very future of the tank into
question.
Previously, the under-equipped
Ukrainian military had been relying mostly on ageing legacy equipment from the
Soviet Union.
The tribute video opens in
cinéma vérité style, with sweeping shots of London and the English countryside
and captions that reference William Blake’s famous line, ‘that green and
pleasant land of…’
Some famous figures of British
culture and history flash past the screen, including William Shakespeare, David
Bowie, the Queen during the Second World War, and sports stars Steven Gerrard
and Lewis Hamilton.
David Bowie is one of the
famous figures of British culture and history that flash up on the screen
during the intro to Ukraine’s tribute video to the UK