Ukrainian Soldiers Begin UK Training Program | News | DW

The UK Ministry of Defense announced today that the first group of Ukrainian soldiers, many of whom had no previous military experience, arrived in the UK for combat training and began training at various military bases.

The first few hundred are being trained at various military bases in a plan to train 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers in the use of Western weapons and patrol tactics, the British government explained.

The exercise is part of wider support for Ukraine, which includes 2.3 billion pounds (about 2.7 billion euros) of anti-tank weapons, rocket systems and other equipment.

“Using the world-class experience of the British military, we will help Ukraine rebuild its forces and increase its resilience, while protecting their country’s sovereignty and right to choose their own future,” Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said.

As part of the project, the UK purchased AK-type assault weapons so that Ukrainians could train with the weapons they would use on the front lines.

The UK will also provide personal protective equipment including helmets, vests, eye, hearing and hip protection, personal first aid ‘kits’, as well as field uniforms and combat boots.

A military official quoted by the Times of London said the aim was to quickly convert civilians into skilled soldiers.