James Heappey, the UK armed forces minister, confirmed on Tuesday that the country’s military will train Ukrainian soldiers on British soil. An unspecified number of troops are expected to arrive within the “next few days” to learn how to operate armored vehicles that Britain has pledged to supply to Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict with Russia.
“There’s 120 armored vehicles that are in the process of being made ready,” Heappey told LBC Radio.
“And the Ukrainian troops that will operate them will arrive in the UK in the next few days to learn how to drive and command those vehicles.”
The new arms delivery to the Ukrainian authorities was pledged by London last week amid the surprise visit of PM Boris Johnson to Kiev. He met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, touring the capital and pledging further “financial and military aid, which is a testament of our commitment to [the] country’s struggle against Russia’s barbaric campaign,” Johnson said.
Apart from the 120 armored vehicles, the package also includes Starstreak anti-aircraft missiles, 800 NLAW anti-tank missiles, and “high-tech loitering munitions,” also known as ‘suicide drones’. The consignment also includes anti-ship missiles, Heappey confirmed on Tuesday in a separate interview with BBC.