Britain plans to send troops to Ukraine for training Ukrainian recruits

Plans are being discussed for small groups of British military instructors to deploy to western Ukraine to help train Ukrainian troops before they head to the front lines, The Times reports.

Sources say this move could address logistical challenges of sending Ukrainian personnel to British bases for training and save costs.

One source indicated that training troops in Ukraine would be "cheaper and better," allowing for quicker sessions in isolated areas far from the front lines, reducing risk.

A Ukrainian military source noted that relocating training exercises to Ukraine would serve as a "powerful military and political signal" to other countries and Russia, marking the effective deployment of NATO military infrastructure in Ukraine and acting as a deterrent. It would also provide British troops the chance to learn combat skills from their Ukrainian counterparts and test new weapons being developed.

Ukrainian officials expressed hope that British leadership might encourage France to conduct similar training in Ukraine after talks in Paris stalled for political reasons.