UK 11th Infantry Brigade and Ukrainian Tactical Recognition Flashes [Crown Copyright: Sgt Anil Gurung]
British training of Ukrainian troops, Operation INTERFLEX, has been extended through 2026 as the UK marks Ukrainian Independence Day.
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According to a communiqué issued by Whitehall today, “Ukrainian soldiers will receive a further boost from the British military’s expert training, as the Government announces the extension of the UK’s world-leading training programme on Ukrainian Independence Day”.
Today’s communiqué also states:
- The UK is stepping up and evolving its training support to ensure Ukraine’s Armed Forces are in the strongest possible position as they resist ongoing Russian attacks, and to deter any further Russian aggression under a future peace deal by supporting the regeneration of Ukraine’s forces.
- The extension of Operation INTERFLEX to at least the end of 2026 was announced by the Defence Secretary amid Ukrainian celebrations today, marking 34 years since declaring independence from the Soviet Union.
- More than 50,000 Ukrainian recruits have been trained on British soil so far, with the UK leading 13 other nations providing support to the INTERFLEX programme as one of the biggest schemes of its kind in the world.
- INTERFLEX training began as a 5-week course to provide basic combat training to recruits, but following continued feedback and dialogue with Ukraine’s Armed Forces, has since become a 7-week course and offers alternative courses specifically designed to boost leadership and command skills for personnel, with new courses introduced, tailored according to seniority of trainees.
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