NEW DELHI, April 21 – For the first time since the start of the Russian invasion, a small number of Ukrainian troops are being trained in Britain, while Prime Minister Boris Johnson is stepping up his military support to help Ukraine fend off its neighbour. The troops began training this month using armored patrol vehicles donated by Britain, Johnson’s spokesman said.
Britain is providing Ukraine with 120 armored patrol vehicles, including the Mastiff, which can be used as a reconnaissance or patrol vehicle. The spokesman said Britain, along with its allies, is supplying Ukrainian soldiers with new types of equipment that they may not have used before.
“It is only prudent that they receive the training they need to get the most out of them,” the spokesman said. “We are always aware of what is perceived as escalating, but what is escalating is clearly the actions of (Vladimir) Putin’s regime.”
Johnson, who has been under pressure for parties at his Downing Street residence during coronavirus lockdown restrictions, has been at the forefront of efforts to supply Ukraine with military equipment since the war began.
The British head of state has developed close ties with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, regularly speaking to him on the phone and visiting him in Kyiv.
Members of the Ukrainian government visited a military camp on Britain’s Salisbury Plain in April, where they were shown equipment demonstrations followed by discussions on how the government could supply arms. The British military has been training Ukrainian forces since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. They were withdrawn in February to avoid direct conflict with Russian forces and the possibility of NATO being drawn into the conflict.
Since the beginning of the war, Britain has provided Ukraine with anti-ship, anti-aircraft and light anti-tank weapons, which have proved useful for mobile Ukrainian warplanes to use against Russia’s armored vehicles.
The US military is also training Ukrainian troops to use howitzer artillery, while Britain is training Ukrainians in Poland to use anti-aircraft weapons.
Adaptation by William Maclean