Britain set to boost Ukraine's air defences after 'barbaric' attacks

BRITAIN will join Western allies in sending more air defence systems to Ukraine as Rishi Sunak warned that Russian missiles are "raining down" on the stricken country.

-  Michael Knowles and Sam Lister

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said military commanders and foreign ministers met yesterday to agree fresh aid for Kyiv.

It comes after a Ukrainian air defence missile accidentally landed in Poland, killing two men, while Kyiv's forces faced one of the biggest artillery barrages of the war.

Nato pledged to boost air defences both in Ukraine and eastern Europe.

The Prime Minister said: "Russia rained down missile strikes on the Ukrainians and their infrastructure. That was barbaric and wrong and we shouldn't forget that.

"None of this would be happening without the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"The important thing is to allow the investigation to go forward and find out exactly what happened [in Poland]. There is no question this is linked to Russia continuing to escalate its illegal, unjustifiable war against Ukraine."

Polish President Andrzej Duda said there is "absolutely nothing to suggest it was an intentional attack on Poland".

But international allies still blame Moscow for the two deaths in the village of Przewodow, some 20 miles from the Ukrainian border.

Ewa Byra, headteacher of its primary school, said: "It was a huge blast, the sound was terrifying."

She said she knew the men killed - one was the husband of a school employee, the other the father of a former pupil.

Another resident Kinga Kancir, 24, said the men worked at a grain drying facility - one as a guard, the other driving tractors.

The fact it was an accident will calm fears of Nato being drawn into direct conflict with Russia.

But Mr Cleverly accused the Kremlin of trying to freeze the Ukrainians into submission by destroying energy infrastructure. He said: "We will be looking at further air defence donations that can come from the international community and making sure there is integration between the systems provided to Ukraine."