In order to aid them in their conflict with Russia, Ukrainian soldiers are now in the UK being trained by British military.
As they began their several weeks of training on Thursday, the first cohort of the military program run by the UK met with Defense Secretary Ben Wallace, according to the Ministry of Defence (MoD).
The initiative will train up to 10,000 Ukrainians in the upcoming months.
The next stage of the UK’s support for the Ukrainian Armed Forces in their struggle against Russian aggression, according to Mr. Wallace, is this ambitious new training program.
“We will assist Ukraine in rebuilding its troops and stepping up its resistance as they preserve their nation’s sovereignty and the right to determine their own destiny,” the British Army declared.
By the end of the program’s first phase, 10,000 Ukrainians, according to Mr. Wallace, would have received training in the UK.
Wallace joked with the Ukrainian troops and advised them to “have patience with the British cuisine” as he stated the objective was to “make sure the soldiers are the best.” Wallace also addressed the Ukrainian troops directly.
The troops, who range in age from 18 to 60, are doing a significantly condensed version of the 28-week Combat Infantry Course offered at the Infantry Training Centre in Catterick by the British Army.
The program will be administered by about 1,050 UK military members and will take place at MoD locations in the UK’s North West, South West, and South East.
Volunteer recruits with little to no prior military experience will receive the training they need to be successful in frontline warfare.
The school includes weapon handling, battlefield first aid, fieldcraft, patrol tactics, and the Law of Armed Conflict and is based on the UK’s basic soldier training.
‘Training matters,’ Mr Wallace said in an interview during his visit.
‘When you’re in a war and you’re against Russia, you need to make sure that you can be the best you can be, and that this is the process we’re doing here.
Many recruits had never handled a firearm before, he said. We will be willing to accept more if the Ukrainians request it.
He said, “We could do hundreds and thousands,” when asked how many.
According to Sky News, British trainers praised the Ukrainian soldiers’ exceptional levels of enthusiasm, saying they worked from 6 a.m. to 10.30 p.m. every day, seven days a week.
For the training program, the government has also purchased AK version assault rifles, allowing Ukrainian soldiers to practice with the weapons they would be using on the front lines.
This was supported by the Welsh Guards, who tested more than 2,400 such rifles in 17 days to ensure they were ready for the Ukrainians to commence their training.
The UK has also gifted clothing and equipment to support Ukrainian soldiers in their training and deployment back to Ukraine.
Personal protective equipment, including as helmets, body armor, eye, ear, and pelvis protection, as well as personalized first aid kits, will be provided to each soldier.
Additionally, they will receive field outfits, boots, wet and cold weather gear, bergens, day packs, and webbing.
Through Operation ORBITAL, which educated 22,000 Ukrainian service members between 2015 and 2022, the UK has a long history of assisting Ukrainian military personnel.
According to the MoD, a new initiative will build on this achievement and showcase the UK’s sustained leadership in meeting Ukraine’s military needs as the conflict progresses.
It is the latest package of support from the UK, worth more than £1.3 billion, which has seen Britain send thousands of anti-tank and anti-air missiles, artillery and other equipment to Ukraine.