Ukrainian raw recruits train in UK before heading back home to war

Ukrainian raw recruits have arrived in the UK to receive training before being sent back home to fight on the front line. The UK-led military programme will train up to 10,000 Ukrainians over the coming months. The UK has also supplied more than £2.3 billion ($2.7bn) in military aid, including NLAW anti-tank weapons and M270 multiple launch rocket systems. “This ambitious new training programme is the next phase in the UK’s support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in their fight against Russian aggression,” said Defence Secretary Ben Wallace. “Using the world-class expertise of the British Army we will help Ukraine to rebuild its forces and scale-up its resistance as they defend their country’s sovereignty and their right to choose their own future.” The training will give volunteer recruits with little to no military experience the skills to be effective in front-line combat. About 1,000 UK service personnel are deployed to run the programme, which will take place at Ministry of Defence sites across the UK. Each course last several weeks and will be conducted by elements from 11 Security Force Assistance Brigade. Based on the UK’s basic soldier training, the course also covers weapons handling, battlefield first aid, field craft, patrol tactics and the law of armed conflict. The government has also procured AK variant assault rifles for the training programme, so the Ukrainians can train on the weapons they will be using on the front line. The also provided clothing and equipment to support Ukrainian soldiers in their training and deployment back to Ukraine. Each soldier will be issued with helmets and body armour, first aid kits, and cold and wet weather clothing. The UK has trained 22,000 Ukrainians between 2015 and 2022 under Operation Orbital.

Ukrainian raw recruits train in UK before heading back home to war

Training includes weapon handling, battlefield first aid, field craft, patrol tactics and the law of armed conflict