Deutsche Welle: British trainers in the Ukrainian army?

Ukrainian army commanders speak of two trainings by incumbent British officers, a move that could further anger Moscow. No comment from the British Department of Defense.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February, Western powers have been indirectly trying to “hurt” the Putin regime by imposing unprecedented sanctions on the Russian state, individuals and companies, while offering support to the Ukrainian resistance, sending military equipment and humanitarian aid.

But this indirect attitude of the West seems to be changing. The United States announced on Friday that it would send artillery and US military trainers to Ukraine for the first time, prompting Russia to announce “unintended consequences” for the United States and its Western allies.

Revelations of the Times

The British newspaper The Times today cites sources from two battalions of the Ukrainian army, who claim that Ukrainian recruits have been trained twice in the last two weeks by active British commandos.

In particular, Captain Yuri Mironenko, whose battalion is stationed in the Obolon region of Ukraine, said that British special forces troops had arrived here as the recruits had to learn to use the NLAWs anti-tank missiles, which had been sent from the UK to the UK. Ukraine.

At the same time, the second commander, who only gives the code name “Bear”, commented on the good relationship that developed between the British and Ukrainian soldiers, as he emphasizes that “they were invited to visit Britain after the end of the war”.

Immediate NATO involvement?

Until recently, however, Ukrainian soldiers were trained mainly via video on Youtube, as any training by Western forces on Ukrainian soil could be considered a direct NATO involvement in the war. And there may be British troops in Ukraine right now who are helping the Ukrainian army voluntarily but not active members of the British army, as the Ukrainian military claims.

For this very reason, and for fear of provoking an outraged reaction from Moscow, Britain had withdrawn from February all British troops it had stationed in Ukraine since 2014 due to the Russian invasion of Crimea. It is characteristic that Boris Johnson until at least the beginning of March insisted that “under no circumstances should NATO be directly involved in the war”.

Boris Johnson banned from entering Russia

The British Ministry of Defense, however, neither confirmed nor denied the so-called Ukrainian military as it is its regular policy not to comment on special military operations.

As a latest development, Russia announced on Saturday morning that it would ban a number of British politicians from entering the country in retaliation for the “total hostile attitude of the UK towards Moscow”, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Liz Trass and Secretary of Defense Ben Wallace.

Zoe Katzagiannaki, London

Source: Deutsche Welle