General Staff shows footage of Ukrainian recruits in training on British soil

That’s according to the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Ukrinform reports.

“The training of personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine continues in Great Britain as part of the ‘#INTERFLEX’ operation launched by the UK government and is one of the vivid and effective examples of international support of Ukraine,” the statement says.

In the course of its implementation, nearly 10,000 Ukrainian servicemen are expected to be trained. The Instructors from the British Army and the armed forces of Denmark, Canada, the Netherlands, Finland, New Zealand and Ukraine are involved in the training.

This is a large-scale, ambitious programme that will provide individuals with the necessary battlefield skills to defend their homeland. The military recruit courses will be conducted at several locations across the UK, using the existing MOD training estate.

The training package will provide the volunteer recruits with battlefield skills, including weapon handling, marksmanship, field craft, first aid, and armed conflict awareness.

The UK has offered to train Ukrainian troops in battlefield skills “to help them sustain their heroic defense in the face of some of the most intense fighting seen in Europe in decades.”

This course has been developed as a result of recent discussions between the UK and Ukrainian military leadership and builds upon the existing bilateral training agreements first enacted in 2015.

Having well trained, well led and well cared for service personnel is key to success in the current conflict.

We will recall how the representatives of the military and political leadership of the United Kingdom spoke about the support of Ukraine and the training:

The programme is part of the UK’s enduring commitment to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s unprovoked invasion, which so far amounts to more than £2.3 billion in military aid and includes more than 5,000 NLAW anti-tank weapons and M270 multiple launch rocket systems.

Around 1,050 UK service personnel are deploying to run the programme, which will take place at MOD sites across the North West, South West and South East of the UK. Each course will last several weeks and will be conducted by elements from 11 Security Force Assistance Brigade.

The training will give volunteer recruits with little to no military experience the skills to be effective in frontline combat. Based on the UK’s basic soldier training, the course covers weapons handling, battlefield first aid, fieldcraft, patrol tactics and the Law of Armed Conflict.

The Government has rapidly procured AK variant assault rifles for the training programme, meaning Ukrainian soldiers can train on the weapons they will be using on the front line. This effort 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. Each soldier will be issued with:

Personal protective equipment including helmets, body armour, eye protectors, ear protectors, pelvic protection, and individual first aid kits

Field uniforms and boots

Cold and wet weather clothing

Bergens, day sacks and webbing

Additional equipment required for field conditions including ponchos, sleeping bags, and entrenching tools.