Britain has delivered the first 105mm and 155mm artillery barrels to Ukraine under a contract worth £61 million, or $82 million, the UK Ministry of Defence said.

The agreement covers the production of 150 barrels by BAE Systems at its facility in Sheffield. The order marks the first time such equipment has been manufactured in Britain in almost two decades.

Four barrels have already been sent to Ukraine. The British defence ministry believes Kiev could use them to establish its own production capacity.

The delivery follows an earlier announcement by the European Commission that the European Union and Ukraine plan to launch joint production of interceptor missiles by 2028.

Moscow has repeatedly said that Western arms supplies to Kiev obstruct a peaceful settlement and deepen NATO countries’ involvement in the conflict. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has also warned that shipments carrying weapons for Ukraine will be treated by Russian forces as legitimate targets.