British soldiers salute Ukrainian troops as they return to frontline
British soldiers salute Ukrainian heroes: Troops line the road to honor unit they have spent weeks training ahead of long-awaited spring counteroffensive against Russian invaders
- Footage was tweeted by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence and shared by UK’s
- Taken from inside a moving bus, it also shows troops clapping and holding flags
- Thousands of Ukrainians have been training in the UK over the winter
British soldiers have been filmed saluting Ukrainian troops on their way to the frontline after training in the UK ahead of Kyiv’s expected spring counteroffensive against Putin’s invading armies.
The moving footage, tweeted by Ukraine’s Ministry of Defence and then shared by the British equivalent, is taken from inside a moving bus and shows uniformed soldiers lined up along a road waving, clapping, saluting and holding Ukrainian flags.
This sign of solidarity and respect came as the soldiers saw off their Ukrainian allies, who had completed training this winter to prepare them for a fresh push in the Russia-Ukraine war.
Alongside the 37 second clip, the UK MoD wrote: “We salute our Ukrainian friends as they return home after completing training to defend their freedom, loved ones and independence.”
The video evoked an emotional response online, with one Twitter user writing: “Brought tears to my eyes. So much respect to both teams.”
Another added: “Ukrainians are extremely grateful to you United Kingdom. God bless your kind hearts! Ukraine will never forget your help and everything you do for Ukraine!”
A third said: “I am so proud to be British… to see these soldiers, united in their beliefs, supporting one another well, it brings tears to my eyes.”
A YouTube commenter said: “That’s some serious respect and honour given by the British. I’m deeply moved by this.”
The Russian invasion of Ukraine forced many ordinary citizens to take up arms to defend their homeland, so training them up to be combat-ready is essential for their military success.
The programme for Ukrainian forces, organised by the UK’s MoD and carried out by both British forces and allied partners, is known as Operation Interflex and has seen thousands of Ukrainians receive basic British Army training.
British soldiers (pictured) salute Ukrainian troops as they head back to their country to fight off invading Russian forces
Taken from inside a moving bus, the video was tweeted by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defence and shared by the UK equivalent
Basic training involves surviving in a hostile environment; troops are taught skills like basic fieldcraft and medical care, as well as marksmanship and weapon handling.
The training has also been adapted to reflect what is needed on the ground – essentially trench warfare.
Ukrainians have been trained in the UK since last summer, and by the first anniversary of the Russian invasion in February, around 10,000 left the country combat-ready.
A further 20,000 are expected to go through the five-week course in 2023.
There are also tank crews who completed their training on Challenger 2s at the end of March, having travelled to the UK shortly after Rishi Sunak announced in January that the UK would send 14 of these tanks to help oust Putin’s forces.
There are also troops who have been learning how to fire AS-90 self-propelled artillery guns, 32 of which the UK is donating to the war effort.
Despite hope that these newly-trained soldiers will deal a crushing blow to the Russian invaders, leaked US documents cast doubt on Ukraine’s military capacity.
According to documents reviewed by AFP, the US has serious concerns about Ukraine’s ability to make significant gains in its upcoming offensive, as well as Kyiv’s capacity to keep defending itself.
In particular, there are concerns about Ukraine’s air defences, critical in protecting against Russian strikes.
One top secret document said tough Russian defences and “enduring Ukrainian deficiencies in training and munitions supplies probably will strain progress and exacerbate casualties during the offensive,” according to the Washington Post.
The highly-sensitive material being posted online has sparked a US criminal investigation into a breach that the Pentagram says poses a “very serious” risk to national security.
Thousands of Ukrainians have been receiving training in the UK from the British Army and allied partners as they prepare for a fresh push against Russian aggression
The video of the British guard of honour for Ukrainian forces comes amid claims that UK special forces have operated in Ukraine.
Alleged leaked documents, dated March 23, were published online and indicated as many as 50 UK special forces personnel have been deployed to the country alongside other western special forces.
However, the document reportedly does not state where the allegedly deployed forces are located or what they are doing.
The MoD warned against taking allegations contained in the reported leak of US classified information at “face value”.
A spokesperson said in a message posted on Twitter: “The widely reported leak of alleged classified US information has demonstrated a serious level of inaccuracy.
“Readers should be cautious about taking at face value allegations that have the potential to spread disinformation.”
Meanwhile, Pentagon spokesman Chris Meagher urged caution in “promoting or amplifying any of these documents”, adding that it “does appear that slides have been doctored.”
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