Defence Secretary Michael Fallon also confirmed that the British forces currently based in the country are due to exceed their training target.
According to a government statement, the UK training programme for the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF) will be extended for another year “to ensure more members of the UAF benefit from UK Armed Forces training.”
By March 2017 British forces are expected to have trained over 5,000 members of the UAF, over 1,000 more than initially planned.
Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said:
“Britain is stepping up in Europe and around the world. Extending British training of Ukrainian Armed Forces sends a clear message that we support Ukraine and remain firmly committed to its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, in the face of a more belligerent Russia.
This extension will ensure thousands more Ukrainian troops get first rate training from the best armed forces in the world.”
Training teams from across the British Army have been deployed to Ukraine since 2015, with 1 Mercian currently providing the majority of this activity until the end of this year.
According to the press release, the extend of UK training is as follows:
“The UK also provides a senior adviser to Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence and gifted over £1 million worth of non-lethal equipment to Ukraine, including first aid kits and cold weather clothing to strengthen their defensive capability and increase their resilience.”
Does anybody out there have an informed opinion of how this is working , also what level is being achieved.
N Roach.