The Prime Minister of United Kingdom (U.K.) – Boris Johnson has announced to launch a major training operation for Ukrainian troops, to enable them to combat the invading Russian forces.
The announcement was made during Johnson’s visit to Kyiv where he met the President of Ukraine – Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The programme has the potential to train upto 10,000 soldiers every 120 days. It aims to fundamentally change the equation of the war, ensuring the Armed Forces of Ukraine have the resilience they need in combating the invading Russian forces.
Taking it to twitter, the UK Prime Minister tweeted,
The UK has offered to spearhead a landmark programme to train thousands of soldiers for the Ukrainian Armed Forces. #StandWithUkraine 🇬🇧🇺🇦
— UK Prime Minister (@10DowningStreet) June 17, 2022
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The two leaders also discussed the situation in Ukraine and how the Ukrainian people continue to inspire the world with their incredible resistance. The leaders also discussed how the UK can play a pivotal role in ending the blockade of grain.
Speaking on the occasion, Johnson said, “My visit today, in the depths of this war, is to send a clear and simple message to the Ukrainian people: the U.K. is with you, and we will be with you until you ultimately prevail.”
He further said, “As Ukrainian soldiers fire UK missiles in defence of your nation’s sovereignty, they do so also in defence of the very freedoms we take for granted. That is why I have offered President Zelenskyy a major new military training programme that could change the equation of this war –harnessing that most powerful of forces, the Ukrainian determination to win.”
The U.K. led programme would train and drill the Armed Forces of Ukraine using battle-proven British Army expertise, allowing them to accelerate their deployment, rebuild their forces and scale-up their resistance as they continue to defend their nation’s sovereignty against Russian invaders. Each soldier would spend 3 weeks on the training course, learning battle winning skills for the front line, as well as basic medical training, cyber-security and counter explosive tactics. As per the programme, international partners would be invited to host the programme, if the offer is accepted by Ukraine.
The previous Operation Orbital saw the UK train more than 22,000 Ukrainian personnel from 2015 until the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The new programme would train forces outside of the country. The battle-winning skills taught during the seven-year programme enabled Ukrainian forces to launch a ferocious defence against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion.
The U.K. has, as of now, pledged more than £ 1.3 billion in economic and humanitarian support to Ukraine including more than 5,000 NLAW anti-tank missiles, long-range multiple launch rocket systems, and artillery systems including 155 mm Self Propelled Guns.
