As the British Defense Secretary stated, “this ambitious new training program is the next phase of the UK’s support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in their fight against Russian aggression.”
Ukrainian soldiers being trained by British forces to help them in their fight against Russia have arrived in the UK, according to the “Daily Mail”.
The first group of soldiers met with the Minister of Defence, Ben Wallace, on Thursday, July 7, as they began the several weeks of training, the Ministry of Defense (MoD) said. The program will train up to 10,000 Ukrainians the next months.
As the British Secretary of Defense stated, “this ambitious new training program is the next phase of the UK’s support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in their fight against Russian aggression. Using the expertise of the British military we will help Ukraine rebuild its forces and escalate its resistance as it defends its country’s sovereignty and its right to choose its future».
Mr. Wallace also stated that the goal is “to ensure that the soldiers are the best,” while he himself spoke to the Ukrainian soldiers and jokingly told them that they should be patient with British food.
The soldiersaged between 18 and 60, are learning a… different version of the 28-week combat infantry course taught at the British Army’s Infantry Training Center in Catterick.
Around 1,050 UK service personnel are taking part in the programme, which will take place at Ministry of Defense facilities in the North West, South West and South East of the UK.
The training will give volunteer recruits, with little or no military experience, the skills to be effective in frontline combat. Based on basic UK soldier training, the course covers weapons handling, battlefield first aid, fieldmanship, patrol tactics and the law of armed conflict.
“Education matters,” emphasized the Minister of Defense during his visit. “When you’re in a war and you’re against Russia, you’ve got to make sure you can be the best you can be, and that’s the process we’re doing here».
Each soldier will be provided with personal protective equipment such as helmets, eye protection, ear muffs, hip protection and individual first aid kits. They will also be provided with field uniforms and boots, cold and wet weather clothing, raincoats, daypacks and harnesses.
The UK has a long history of supporting Ukrainian service personnel through Operation ORBITAL, which trained 22,000 Ukrainians between 2015 and 2022. This is the UK’s latest support package, worth more than £1.3 billion.
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