Britain will send armoured vehicles including Mastiff patrol cars to Ukraine to bolster its defences ahead of a renewed Russian onslaught, the Defence Secretary has announced.

Ben Wallace said the RAF would also strengthen its presence on Nato’s eastern flank, where Typhoon jets are helping to police the skies above Romania to deter Kremlin aggression. 

Speaking on a visit to the Black Sea air base of Mihail Kogalniceanu, Mr Wallace said Britain would “do everything” to help ensure Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, is defeated.

It is expected Britain will provide Ukraine with a range of armoured vehicles, some of which were previously deployed on operations in Afghanistan. 

They include the heavily armoured Mastiffs, which can carry eight troops plus two crew and are typically used for road patrols and convoys. 

The Mastiff was armed with machine guns and grenade launchers when deployed by British forces, but it is understood the Ukrainian military will mount their own weapons. 

Defence sources told The Telegraph that Ukrainian troops would likely be trained on how to use the vehicles, which are left-hand drive, in a neighbouring country.

The machinery is said to have been sitting in storage and will now likely be transported across Europe by the RAF.

The agreement comes after British defence ministers this week hosted a Ukrainian government delegation to allow them to view stocks of military equipment.