Just nine days after they arrived in Britain and put on uniform, the head of the British Army has praised “the courage, morale and fighting spirit” of Ukrainian troops being trained by the British Army.
The Chief of the General Staff, General Sir Patrick Sanders has visited the first group of Armed Forces of Ukraine recruits on a training programme to give them the skills to become effective soldiers.
Up to 10,000 Ukrainians will be given training by the UK Armed Forces over the coming months. The programme is part of the UK’s enduring commitment to support Ukraine, which so far amounts to more than £2.3 billion in military aid including anti-tank weapons, armoured vehicles, and artillery.
At military ranges in Kent, General Sanders watched Ukrainian troops being trained in how to fight through buildings. Drawn from the Army’s basic training programme, other skills the Ukrainians are being taught include weapon handling, battlefield first aid, fieldcraft, patrol tactics and the Law of Armed Conflict.
“I was struck by the courage, morale and fighting spirit of the Ukrainian soldiers." The Chief of the General Staff,
General Sir Patrick Sanders
General Sanders said: “I was struck by the courage, morale and fighting spirit of the Ukrainian soldiers. Furthermore, the commitment and hard work of the instructors, and the speed with which they have put the training together, is hugely impressive. We will continue our work to scale up the ambition and pace of the training to maximise support to Ukraine”.
The training is being delivered at sites across the UK by over 1,000 soldiers from 11th Security Force Assistance Brigade, which specialises in delivering training to build the military capabilities of our allies and partners. Assault rifles have been procured for the Ukrainian soldiers and they are being issued with helmets, body armour, uniforms, and field kit to equip them for frontline operations.
The current programme builds on the Army’s history of supporting Ukrainian forces through Operation Orbital, which saw British troops in Ukraine between 2015 and 2022 to deliver training to over 22,000 Ukrainians.