Over 20,000 Ukrainian Troops Get Training in UK

More than 20,000 Ukrainian military personnel have already received training in the United Kingdom, the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces said in a statement on Wednesday.

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Apart from training, the UK provided the Ukrainian soldiers with military items as part of the international training Operation Interflex.

In particular, Ukrainian troops received military uniform and footwear, bulletproof vests and helmets, as well as tactical glasses and gloves, first aid kits, and other types of equipment, it said.

According to the statement, the UK military support for Ukraine has exceeded 2.3 billion pounds (about US$2.9 billion). Launched in the summer of 2022, Operation Interflex is a UK-led international training program for Ukrainian recruits.

On Thursday, Ben Wallace tendered his resignation as Britain's defense secretary in a letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Wallace was appointed as the defense chief in 2019 under the government of Boris Johnson. He said last month he wanted to step down after four years in the role and would quit as a lawmaker at the country's next general election.

"After much reflection, I have taken the decision to ask that I be allowed to step down," he said about his resignation. "I won my seat in 2005 and after so many years it is time for me to invest in the parts of life that I have neglected, and to explore new opportunities."

He also advised the prime minister in the letter not to cut the country's spending on defense as it should not be viewed as "a discretionary spend" by the government. He advised against "hollowing out (the defense)" to achieve savings.