Britain has begun supplying Ukraine with new light anti-tank weapons in response to “the increasingly threatening behaviour from Russia”, the defence secretary, Ben Wallace, has announced, writes The Guardian.

The ratcheting up of military support comes as the Kremlin continues to increase its troop deployment by moving forces into Belarus, which borders Ukraine to the north, and is considered the most likely route for any invasion.

“We have taken the decision to supply Ukraine with light anti-armour defensive weapons systems”, - Wallace told the Commons on Monday, adding that “a small number” of British troops would provide training to help Kyiv’s forces in using them.

The defence secretary insisted the arms sales were intended to be defensive, although the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has recently complained about other NATO members selling modern weapons to Ukraine.