The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) announced on 10 November 2023 that the UK armed forces have trained more than 30,000 Ukrainian men and women to become soldiers. This training effort, it said, which is known as Operation Interflex, is the largest military training programme of its kind on British soil since the Second World War.
“Ahead of schedule, the UK-led Op Interflex has reached the milestone of 30,000 recruits trained in the UK since June 2022 – taking the total number of trained Ukrainian soldiers to more than 52,000 since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2014,” the MoD stated.
The ministry explained that the training was set up after Operation Orbital, the British Army’s long-term training programme in Ukraine, had to be paused when Russia launched its full-scale invasion against Ukraine in February 2022. Operation Interflex was launched in June 2022 and had the target of training 30,000 troops by the end of 2023.
Delivered in locations throughout the UK, Operation Interflex takes volunteer recruits who have joined the Ukrainian armed forces with little to no previous military experience and teaches them the skills required to survive and be effective in frontline combat. The training allows Ukraine’s forces to accelerate their deployments, rebuild their forces, and scale up their resistance as they continue to defend their country’s sovereignty against the Russian invasion.
Following the launch of Operation Interflex last summer a number of international partners joined the programme, including Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Lithuania, The Netherlands and Australia. The MoD additionally noted that NATO ally Romania also confirmed its involvement on 10 November 2023, taking the total number of partner nations to 10.
The Operation Interflex course is delivered over a minimum period of five weeks and includes weapons handling, battlefield first aid, Law of Armed Conflict training, patrol tactics and rural environment training. During the past 12 months the UK’s wider package of support has also evolved to include upskilling Ukrainian marines, with British Commandos training Ukraine’s forces in small boat amphibious operations. There is also mine-clearance training by the Royal Engineers, trauma response training and even army chaplaincy support for Ukrainian padres.
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak was quoted by the MoD as saying, “I am incredibly proud of all the British and Ukrainian soldiers, sailors, airmen and women involved in this major undertaking; their dedication and professionalism today is ensuring peace for our continent in the future.
“Op Interflex has changed the equation of this war, harnessing Ukraine’s spirit, courage and determination, and matching it with global military expertise. The crucial contribution of our international partners to this programme reinforces the global support for Ukraine and underlines our united belief that Ukraine can and will win this war.”
UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps stated, “Op Interflex’s size and ambition is unrivalled; the programme is a key example of how the UK can help galvanise the international community into supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
“I’m delighted we will exceed the target for this year and thank the UK trainers and our international partners who have worked night and day to reach the milestone ahead of schedule,” he added. “I also pay tribute to the determination and resilience of the brave Ukrainian recruits that arrive on British shores.”
The head of the Main Department of Doctrine and Training of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Major General Oleksii Taran, was quoted as saying that the Ukrainian armed forces “highly appreciate and are grateful to the United Kingdom, its nation and government for the opportunity to train Ukrainian personnel at British military bases as part of the multinational training Operation Interflex”.
The general added, “We notice the greater fighting capacity of the servicemen and women of the Armed Forces of Ukraine who successfully completed the Interflex training course, their resilience and ability to engage hard with the enemy under bombardment. They have warfare and basic weapon handling skills, are trained to conduct combat operations in trenches and urban areas, have basic military medical training according to international protocols, and are knowledgeable about the Law of Armed Conflict.”
