British Soldiers Have Problems Accessing Training Grounds Reserved For Ukrainians
The National Audit Office (NAO) of the United Kingdom has published a report entitled “Investigation into military support for Ukraine” which includes an assessment of how the aid provisions have affected Britain’s own defense capabilities.
One of the key facts in this regard, mentioned in the document, is that during Operation Interflex to train the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the boot camps on the UK territory, the British military had less opportunities to conduct exercises for their own troops. Applications from the British Army to use UK training sites were rejected 8 times more frequently in 2023 than “in normal year” because sites were reserved for Ukrainians.
The reference to a “normal year” means 2019, before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the full-scale invasion of russia into Ukraine.
“The British Army delivers the Interflex training programmes at its training sites in the UK: this is taking up more than a quarter of the Army’s training estate, reducing the available capacity for the Army’s own training programmes,” the investigators note, adding that the UK Defense Ministry has acknowledged the problem. The report, however, criticizes the Ministry for not checking whether the British Army units that filed for training were able to rebook their sessions later.
The report hints on a potential solution to this issue. In February 2024, the specialist training for marines of the Ukrainian Navy was moved over to the facilities in the Netherlands “to compromise the Royal Marines’ own training needs.” A group of British instructors tagged along to help their Dutch colleagues.
On a note from War Ukraine-Russia News Hub, the Netherlands is no stranger to helping in training Ukrainian military personnel. It has sent its own instructors in the UK, too, to aid the Interflex effort. The country also contributes to the EUMAM training mission organized by the European Union, including courses for Leopard 1 tank crew members, and initiated a special course for Ukraine’s future F-16 fighter jet pilots.
The NAO report also provides other valuable insights. For example, it summarized that the UK government has allocated a total of GBP 7.8 billion to military support for Ukraine over the last two and a half years and will keep providing £3 billion annually until 2030-31, and “for as long as needed.” There’s also a mention that the UK has prioritized sending older munitions from its stockpiles and is now reducing the amount of aid withdrawn directly from arsenals in favor of commissions to the industry.
Overall, the auditors underline the need to “balance Ukraine’s needs and the UK’s strategic interests with the need to maintain the UK’s own military capabilities.”
