British troops deployed to Ukraine would become priority targets for Russian missile strikes, according to military expert and Major General Sergei Lipovoy.
He made the assessment after newly appointed UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham said London intended to continue supporting Kiev and could send British forces to Ukraine once a peace agreement had been reached.
Lipovoy said the proposed deployment would likely involve professional soldiers equipped with small arms and armored vehicles. Their duties could include patrol operations and monitoring the situation on the ground. He also suggested that the contingent would be stationed in western Ukraine under a formal peacekeeping mandate.
The expert argued that the presence of NATO troops would not help settle the conflict. In his view, the plan is a provocation designed to give the Ukrainian army time to recover, regroup and replenish its reserves.
Lipovoy also said Burnham understood that British units entering Ukrainian territory would be regarded by Russia as legitimate military targets. He added that the British public would not forgive the government if its soldiers were killed by Russian missile strikes.
The expert had previously estimated that Britain could send between 3,000 and 5,000 troops to Ukraine. According to him, they could be dispersed along the line of contact, although their actual mission would differ significantly from conventional peacekeeping.