UK soldiers to join training exercise in Ukraine

The exercise, named Rapid Trident, begins on 20 July and follows Prime Minister David Cameron’s bilateral talks with Arseniy Yatsenyuk, the Ukrainian Prime Minister. The UK’s participation in this exercise follows the recent delivery by the RAF of a significant package of equipment support to increase the resilience of Ukrainian troops.

In the first phase of the exercise UK personnel will train partner nations’ troops in essential tactics, such as reacting to contact with enemy forces. Battle Group Headquarters staff will also contribute to a command post exercise, testing the ability of commanders to lead operations alongside soldiers and officers from other nations.

In the second phase, British soldiers will join in a number of joint field training exercises to test and evaluate the skills shared in phase one, while Battle Group Headquarters staff will form part of a US-led battalion headquarters.

Defence Secretary Michael Fallon said: “This underlines our commitment to the sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine and our other Eastern European partners. Alongside my recent announcement that we are stepping up our training of Ukrainian forces and our delivery of crucial equipment, it sends a clear message that we stand firm with Ukraine in the face of aggression.”

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