As the anniversary of the Russian invasion of Ukraine approaches, the UK has announced it has helped to train 10,000 Ukrainian volunteer soldiers.
Operation Interflex sees the recruits undergo an intense five-week programme learning the international laws of armed conflict, trench warfare, urban fighting, weapons handling and firing, medical training and dealing with explosives.
The programme includes international trainers as well as British Army experts at sites across the UK.
The Ministry of Defence invited the media to observe the operation at an undisclosed remote location in the north of England.
The course seeks to harness the Ukrainians’ “offensive spirit” and give them the skills to fight effectively and survive, a senior officer said.
The recruits have little or no military experience and are given similar training to what British Army reserves would receive.
But the course has been tweaked to reflect the reality of the war in Ukraine and has direct input from Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) soldiers who have fought there.
The British forces working on the training programme will have a humble approach to the recruits and were looking to learn from the experienced Ukrainian soldiers who were also working on the exercise, the senior officer said.
