A Ukrainian fighter practices firing an NLAW anti-tank weapon supplied by Britain.via REUTERS.
- The US and other NATO countries have sent thousands of weapons to Ukraine in recent weeks.
- The shipments include anti-armor and anti-aircraft missiles which could be used against Russian tanks and helicopters .
As fighting in Ukraine enters its third week, reports this week revealed heavily-laden military cargo jets are pouring into an airfield across the border, stacked with weapons and military equipment to help Ukraine's forces hold back the advance of Russian troops.
Throughout the buildup to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, NATO countries, including the US, insisted they would not send troops to the region amid concern that the presence of their personnel on the ground would lead to a dangerous escalation of the conflict.
That stance has continued since Moscow ordered its troops into Ukraine on the morning of February 24. Instead, NATO nations and other countries are supplying Ukraine's defence forces - vastly outgunned and outnumbered by Russia's military - with weapons and equipment that Kyiv hopes will be able to help staunch Russia's advance.
Around 17,000 anti-armor weapons have been sent to Ukraine in the last number of weeks and are being pressed into use against Russian tanks and other hardware. As of March 8, Ukrainian fighters had destroyed over 1,000 armored personnel carriers, 303 tanks, 120 artillery systems and 80 helicopters, The Kyiv Independent claimed.
With heavy transport aircraft continuing to deliver consignments of equipment critical for Ukraine's defense, we take a look at some of the weapons being sent to Ukraine as it tries to hold back Russia's advances.