The British military's involvement in educating Ukrainian military personnel.
In the UK, around 42,000 Ukrainian military personnel have received combat training since 2022, aimed at fighting against Russia in their home country. This has resulted in implications for Britain's own forces.
An audit carried out by the National Audit Office (NAO) revealed that due to Operation Interflex, a program to train Ukrainian recruits, roughly a quarter of the UK's training facilities are being utilized. As a result, British military units requested access to training grounds eight times more often in 2023 compared to 2019, with their requests being denied on eight more occasions. The Ministry of Defence acknowledged that Interflex would restrict the British Army's capacity to train its personnel.
At the beginning of the year, Ukrainian naval soldiers' training was relocated to the Netherlands due to safety concerns for the Royal Marines, as the utilization of UK facilities threatened to encroach on their training needs. Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, over 42,000 Ukrainian men and women have received training in the UK. Operation Interflex is still expected to continue up until 2025, as announced by Defence Minister John Healey.
According to the audit, 89% of the Ukrainian soldiers who completed training in the UK felt better prepared for combat. However, there have been criticisms regarding the insufficient training provided in dealing with drones, as a result of flying regulations within the UK limiting military and civilian operations.
The report further stated that the UK has provided Ukraine with £171.5 million worth of weapons and equipment from its own stocks since 2022. The costs to replenish these items have exceeded the donations, with the Ministry of Defence estimating the costs would reach £2.71 billion by the financial year 2030/31. In certain instances, the newly acquired equipment even surpassed the donated items in terms of technological advancement.
The European Union has expressed its support for the UK's initiatives to aid Ukraine, recognizing the significant impact of Operation Interflex on the UK's military operations. Due to the European Union's ongoing efforts to provide additional training facilities for Ukrainian military personnel, the pressure on UK facilities will likely decrease.
