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Ukrainian troops train with British Army

STORY: Hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers have received military training in the UK.More than 450 troops were taught how to use a range of weapons by the British Army, including the Multiple Launch Rocket Systems – which Britain is supplying to Ukraine.Media were invited to Salisbury plain, in southern England, where the exercises were taking place.The training is part of a wide-ranging international support package following Russia’s invasion in February.Captain James Oliphant of the Royal Artillery was involved in the three-week long training of the MLRS:”At the end of the day, it’s another component to their own balance, it’s a force multiplier. Because it’s a truck vehicle, their rocket systems are wheeled, it’s going to give them more mobility, which is going to aid in their survivability. Naturally, it’s an ammunition that’s able to punch up to 84 kilometers.”Moscow calls its actions in Ukraine a “special military operation” to disarm its neighbor and rid it of quote “fascists”.Ukraine and its Western allies say Russia is waging an unprovoked war of aggression.During a surprise visit to Kyiv this month, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a separate training operation for Ukrainian forces, with the potential to train up to 10,000 soldiers every 120 days.And on Wednesday (June 29), the British government announced it would provide another $1.2 billion of military support to Ukraine, including air defense systems, uncrewed aerial vehicles and new electronic warfare equipment.Meanwhile, back on Salisbury plain – British trainers praised the attitude of their Ukrainian counterparts.”They are extremely keen to learn and we have had for long days when we’ve been teaching them from eight in the morning till six at night, seven days a week for the whole period that they’ve been here. Their appetite at the beginning was as you can imagine, extremely high and very needy. But as they become more attuned and accustomed to being able to operate this system, that started to calm down and are now in a position where the battery commander himself is now exercising his troops under his own doctrine and tactics.”