The first group of an expected 10,000 Ukrainian military recruits to receive training in the United Kingdom in the upcoming months have arrived in Britain and begun exercises, the Defense Ministry said.
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Defense officials on July 9 said 1,050 British service personnel will train the inexperienced Ukrainian volunteers at several locations across Britain for several weeks.
Defense Minister Ben Wallace met with the recruits earlier in the week, telling them that "this ambitious new training program is the next phase in the U.K.'s support to the armed forces of Ukraine in their fight against Russian aggression.”
The Ukrainians will undergo Britain's basic soldier training program, featuring weapons handling, battlefield first aid, field craft, patrol tactics, and the laws around armed conflict, the British ministry said.
The soldiers will also train on AK variant assault rifles, allowing the Ukrainians to work with the type of weapons they will use on the battlefield back home.
Ukraine is struggling to hold off a brutal invasion of the country by Russian forces. After holding off the Russians near Kyiv, the Ukrainians are now involved in a deadly effort to stop the Kremlin’s offensive in the east and south of the country.
Britain, under outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson, has taken the lead in providing military aid to Kyiv. Johnson, hit by political scandals at home, has said he will step down, but most experts say the country is likely to continue its support for Ukraine.
Britain has provided nearly $3 billion in military aid, including more than 5,000 anti-tank weapons and multiple-launch rocket systems.