Ukrainian Recruits In England Train For Urban Warfare Against Russian Forces

Ukrainian recruits practice house clearing amid the sound of gunfire and smoke bombs in a mock village where British soldiers formerly trained for operations in Northern Ireland.

The training mission, which is taking place at four bases around the United Kingdom, involves more than 1,000 British personnel. Trainers from some Nordic nations, Canada, the Netherlands, and New Zealand are also lending their military expertise.

The Ukrainian recruits are undergoing a shortened version of the infantry training that the British Army provides its own troops. Weapon handling, first aid, patrol tactics, and the laws of conflict are also covered.

“The most important part is urban training, because it’s the most dangerous combat, in cities,” said Serhiy, a former IT worker, who, like the other Ukrainians did not want his full name used because of security concerns.  “The British instructors have a lot of experience from Iraq and Afghanistan. We can adapt all this knowledge to the Ukrainian situation and use it to liberate our country from the Russian invasion.”

The goal is to quickly transform new recruits into combat-ready soldiers. The first contingent arrived last month and has already been ordered to the front lines to help depleted Ukrainian units.

“We are running a basic infantry course, which takes Ukrainian recruits and teaches them to shoot well, to move and communicate well within any tactical environment, and to medicate well,” said Major Craig Hutton, a Scots Guards officer of the British Army who is helping to oversee the training.

Hutton says many of the Ukrainians have little military experience, but adds: "They are so motivated. They have a fantastic will to learn, and they just want to practice, practice, and practice more."

New uniforms, body armor, helmets, and other equipment are being sent to the Ukrainian military by Britain as part of a $2.8 billion military aid package that also includes anti-tank missiles and advanced rocket launchers.

Zakhar, a former engineer, said it was hard to be away from Ukraine as fighting rages. “I left my parents. I left my brothers and sisters, my relatives, to gain knowledge and experience that will help me…free our territory from occupiers and invaders,” he said through an interpreter.
 

Serhiy, the former IT worker, has been in uniform for less than a month and is equally determined. “I know that Ukrainian soldiers are dying to protect our homes right now. So it’s hard to know that I am not with them,” he said. “But the Ukrainian Army needs only professional soldiers, so I am ready to train as hard as possible to be ready for the battle ahead."

British Army Brigadier Justin Stenhouse, who is in charge of the training, said seeing the motivation of the Ukrainians is “humbling.” He acknowledged that preparing for the chaos of urban combat is "almost impossible to do in training." The goal of the mission, he said, is to "train them so they can adapt to survive in those early weeks of combat."

"They will learn more in the first weeks of combat than we can possibly give them here," he said.