UK Considers Sending Troops to Ukraine, Reports The Times
The UK is contemplating the deployment of military instructors to Ukraine to provide training for Kiev’s forces, according to a report by The Times. Read Full Article at RT.com
TroibNews 
According to a report from The Times on Thursday, the British military is contemplating sending small groups of instructors to Ukraine to train Kiev's forces in “secluded” locations.
A military source indicated that this approach, sending instructors instead of conducting training on British soil, could be “cheaper for us and better for them.” Concerns about the potential for trainers to face danger were downplayed. “We could do [the training] quicker out there and it would be very far away from the front line, in secluded locations, so the risk would be much lower,” the source explained.
Kiev welcomed the proposal, with a Ukrainian military official stating that such a deployment would send a “powerful military-political signal” to Moscow and other parties. Moreover, it would signify the onset of a “de facto” deployment of NATO’s military infrastructure in Ukraine, serving as a potential “deterrent” to Russia.
Additionally, the British instructors might have the opportunity to “learn battlefield skills from” Kiev’s military and “test” the latest weaponry developed during the ongoing conflict, as noted by the Ukrainian source.
This news emerges during Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s current tour of several European capitals. On Thursday, Zelensky met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the UK, who emphasized the importance of showcasing continued support for Ukraine.
Over the course of the conflict, more than 100,000 Ukrainian servicemen have undergone training abroad through Kiev’s Western allies, with nearly half receiving instruction in Britain. This extensive training effort has led to “capability gaps” within the British military, as acknowledged by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard in September. He noted that the British Army had lost “nearly all” of its AS90 self-propelled howitzers while defending that decision as the “right thing to do.”
In a related note, a recent report by the Ministry of Defence’s spending watchdog revealed that training bids from British Army units experienced rejection rates eight times higher in 2023 compared to previous years. The report attributed this to the unavailability of training facilities due to Ukrainian servicemen undergoing basic infantry training there.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
A military source indicated that this approach, sending instructors instead of conducting training on British soil, could be “cheaper for us and better for them.” Concerns about the potential for trainers to face danger were downplayed. “We could do [the training] quicker out there and it would be very far away from the front line, in secluded locations, so the risk would be much lower,” the source explained.
Kiev welcomed the proposal, with a Ukrainian military official stating that such a deployment would send a “powerful military-political signal” to Moscow and other parties. Moreover, it would signify the onset of a “de facto” deployment of NATO’s military infrastructure in Ukraine, serving as a potential “deterrent” to Russia.
Additionally, the British instructors might have the opportunity to “learn battlefield skills from” Kiev’s military and “test” the latest weaponry developed during the ongoing conflict, as noted by the Ukrainian source.
This news emerges during Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky’s current tour of several European capitals. On Thursday, Zelensky met with Prime Minister Keir Starmer in the UK, who emphasized the importance of showcasing continued support for Ukraine.
Over the course of the conflict, more than 100,000 Ukrainian servicemen have undergone training abroad through Kiev’s Western allies, with nearly half receiving instruction in Britain. This extensive training effort has led to “capability gaps” within the British military, as acknowledged by Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard in September. He noted that the British Army had lost “nearly all” of its AS90 self-propelled howitzers while defending that decision as the “right thing to do.”
In a related note, a recent report by the Ministry of Defence’s spending watchdog revealed that training bids from British Army units experienced rejection rates eight times higher in 2023 compared to previous years. The report attributed this to the unavailability of training facilities due to Ukrainian servicemen undergoing basic infantry training there.
Allen M Lee for TROIB News
