Kyiv/London - President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is to arrive in London on Wednesday for his second trip abroad since Russia invaded Ukraine last year, seeking additional arms to combat an expected major assault.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's office said Zelenskiy will hold talks with the Prime Minister, address Parliament and meet with U.K. military chiefs.

Sunak's office announced plans to expand training for Ukraine's military to include fighter jet pilots and marines - and accelerate the supply of military equipment.

The U.K. is one of the biggest military backers of Ukraine and has sent the country more than 2 billion pounds ($2.5 billion) in weapons and equipment.

"President Zelenskiy's visit to the UK is a testament to his country's courage, determination and fight, and a testament to the unbreakable friendship between our two countries," Sunak said in the statement.

Zelenskiy visited the United States in December and addressed the U.S. Congress on his only trip abroad since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February last year.

More than 10,000 Ukrainian troops have also been trained at bases in the U.K., some on the Challenger 2 tanks that Britain is sending.

“I am proud that today we will expand that training from soldiers to marines and fighter jet pilots, ensuring Ukraine has a military able to defend its interests well into the future,” Sunak said. “It also underlines our commitment to not just provide military equipment for the short term, but a long-term pledge to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine for years to come.”

European Union officials have been preparing for a potential visit by Zelenskyy to Brussels to coincide with a summit of the bloc this week.

Russian forces have been blasting areas of eastern Ukraine with more artillery bombardments, Ukrainian officials said Wednesday, in what Kyiv authorities believe is part of a new thrust by the Kremlin’s forces before the invasion anniversary.

Russian troops launched assaults near Bakhmut and Vuhledar, two mining towns in the Donetsk region that have been among Moscow’s key targets, Ukrainian officials said.

Seizing Bakhmut could severely disrupt Ukraine’s military supply routes. It would also open a door for Moscow’s forces to drive toward key Ukrainian strongholds in Donetsk.

Russia is now also trying to break through Ukrainian lines near the towns of Avdiivka and Marinka in Donetsk, as well as near Kreminna, a front-line town in the Luhansk region which lies along a key Russian supply route, the Ukrainian General Staff said.
-Ap/Reuters