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LONDON, July 10 (AP) The first Ukrainian soldiers, many of whom have no previous military experience, have arrived in Britain for combat training, as the Eastern European nation races to replace troops killed and wounded in the war with Russia.
The MoD said the first hundreds of recruits were being mentored across the UK in a programme aimed at training up to 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers in weapons handling, battlefield first aid and patrolling tactics.
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It is part of a broader support package for Ukraine that includes £2.3 billion ($2.8 billion) in anti-tank weapons, rocket systems and other hardware.
“Using the world-class expertise of the British Army, we will help Ukraine rebuild its military and expand its resistance as they defend national sovereignty and the right to choose their own future,” said Defence Minister Ben Wallace.
As part of the program, the UK procured AK-type assault rifles so that Ukrainians could train with the weapons they would use on the front lines.
The UK will also provide soldiers with personal protective equipment, including helmets, body armor, eye, ear and pelvic protection, personal first aid kits and field uniforms and boots.
The goal is to quickly turn civilians into effective soldiers, sergeants. Dan Hayes told the Times of London.
“All of these people are (truck) drivers, or they work in a quarry, or they’re shopkeepers,” Hayes said. “I’ve been in the military for 14 years, and I chose to join the military. These people are civilians… We’re investing as much as we can because we know they’re going to need it.” (The Associated Press)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from the Syndicated News feed, the body of the content may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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