The UK will continue to train Ukrainian armed forces until at least the end of 2026.
Operation INTERFLEX, the codename for the training programme, was initially intended to conclude at the end of 2025.
Since the operation began, over 50,000 Ukranian troops have been trained on British soil, with 13 other nations supporting the programme.
The decision marks a celebration of Ukraine’s independence from the Soviet Union 34 years ago.
Marking the occasion, Defence Secretary John Healey, said: “The UK is united for Ukraine.
“We will continue to step up our support alongside allies, so that Ukraine can defend today and deter tomorrow.
“In the face of ongoing Russian attacks, we must put Ukraine’s Armed Forces in the strongest possible position. And as the push for peace continues, we must make the Ukrainians into the strongest possible deterrent to secure that future peace.
“On this special day for the freedom and democracy of the Ukrainian people, we are ramping up and evolving our world-leading training support that has given more than 50,000 Ukrainians vital combat skills.
“This matters to Ukraine and it matters to Britain. A secure Ukraine is a secure Europe.
“From learning lessons from the battlefield to strengthen our own Armed Forces, to deepening our military industrial collaboration supporting jobs across the nation, Britain and Ukraine are growing closer than ever before.”
Celebrations across the UK are set for Ukrainian Independence Day, with an event planned with 2,000 Ukrainian and British troops and other attendees at one of the INTERFLEX training sites.
INTERFLEX began as a five week training programme, later being extended to a seven week programme aimed at boosting leadership and command skills for Ukranian officers.
The programme has been credited by the MoD for making 93 per cent of its trainees more confident that they could lead their troops to be more lethal in the field, and 83 per cent believed their troops would be better able to survive attacks thanks to their leadership training.
Artem, a Ukrainian soldier currently training on Operation INTERFLEX’s Platoon and Company Sergeants Course said: “I am very grateful to the UK for supporting the people of Ukraine in their struggle for independence and identity as a nation.
“I am grateful for the opportunity to take such courses, for the high level of professionalism of the instructors, their dedication to their work, and for their ability to organize both group training and find an individual approach to each of us.
“Instructors ensure that classes are conducted in conditions as close to real-life as possible, whether it be in trenches, in a forested area, or in an urban area.
“I learned how important it is to be prepared for coordinated actions in conditions of increased danger, how to properly coordinate personnel during defence, and planning offensive actions. I learnt how to survive in conditions of minimal support and improve first aid skills. “
Featured image via Ministry of Defence.
