Ukraine is losing up to 200 soldiers each day and it is important replacements can be trained in safety, away from the war.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace visited the Ukrainian soldiers. Pic: UK MOD © Crown copyright 2022
With speed a priority given their country is at war, the Ukrainian recruits are being turned into infantrymen at a much faster pace than any peacetime British recruits. They were civilians who only took the decision to join the military in recent days and weeks. A majority of the recruits were men but one unit was said to be 20% female."I was sitting in my office and relaxed and used to drink my coffee, do my routine all the day and everything has changed since February 24," said the recruit, a father-of-one.
British instructors, paired with Ukrainian interpreters, bellowed orders to shoot at cardboard cut-outs of soldiers placed some 200 metres away across a field."Ten rounds, central target, in your own time fire!" the trainer said, prompting the Ukrainians to let rip. The lance corporal signalled he would prefer to be helping in Ukraine once again rather than remotely."Unfortunately, it is not up to me but I would love to go out there with them. We see them as brothers in arms here. We would see them as brothers in arms everywhere."The ratio of instructor to trainee that the UK can offer is about 1:10 or 1:15 - much higher than they would receive in Ukraine.