NEW DELHI, April 21 (Reuters) – A small number of Ukrainian troops have been training in Britain for the first time since the Russian invasion, while Prime Minister Boris Johnson is stepping up military support to help Ukraine fight its neighbor. Troops began training with armored patrol cars donated by Britain this month, a Johnson spokesman said.
The United Kingdom provides Ukraine with 120 armored patrol vehicles, including the Mastiff, which can be used as a reconnaissance or patrol vehicle. The spokesman said Britain, along with its allies, was providing new equipment to Ukrainian troops that they may not have used before.
“It is reasonable for them to receive the necessary training to make the best use of it,” the spokesman said. “We are always aware of everything that is considered escalating, but obviously what is escalating is the actions of the (Vladimir) Putin regime.
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Johnson, under pressure at parties at his Downing Street residence during restrictions on blocking the coronavirus, has been at the forefront of efforts to supply Ukraine with military equipment since the start of the war.
The British leader established close ties with Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, talking to him regularly on the phone and visiting him in Kyiv.
Members of the Ukrainian government visited a military camp in April on the British Salisbury Plain, where they were shown equipment demonstrations, followed by discussions on how the government could supply weapons. The British military has been training Ukrainian forces since the annexation of Crimea in 2014. They were withdrawn in February to avoid direct conflict with Russian forces and the possibility of NATO’s involvement in the conflict.
Since the beginning of the war, Britain has provided Ukraine with anti-ship, anti-aircraft and light anti-tank weapons, which have proved useful for mobile Ukrainian fighters to use against Russian armored vehicles.
The United States military is also training Ukrainian troops to use howitzer artillery, while Britain is training Ukrainians in Poland to use anti-aircraft weapons.
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Edited by William McLean
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