Hundreds of Ukrainian recruits took part in an international celebration of Ukrainian Independence Day alongside their British partners before continuing their combat training this morning (24 August).
The UK Armed Forces have trained more than 20,000 Ukrainian recruits since Russia’s legal invasion. The British Army continues to train hundreds of personnel at sites across the UK.
The recruits stood on parade beneath the flags of Ukraine, the UK and other partner nations at the training camp in Norfolk, the exact location of which cannot be publicly revealed.
The British Army Band Colchester performed the Ukrainian national anthem and the patriotic folk song Oi u luzi chernova kalyna, which has become an anthem of hope and resistance for the Ukrainian people.
British and Ukrainian personnel stood shoulder-to-shoulder during the ceremony to observe a minute’s silence for all those killed by Russian aggression in Ukraine.
The Ukrainian recruits stood to attention and yelled “Slava Ukraini” (Glory to Ukraine) before hearing speeches from their commanding officer and his British counterpart.
Thousands of Ukrainian personnel with little or no military experience have been taught weapons handling, marksmanship, patrol tactics, battlefield first aid and cybersecurity awareness by the UK and its partner nations.
Ahead of the commemorations, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:
“On this Ukrainian Independence Day, we are reminded of the resilience and unwavering commitment from the Ukrainian people to defend their sovereignty and freedom, as vital today as it was 32 years ago, demonstrated by the enormous courage of their immense Armed Forces.
“Men and women across Ukraine are fighting every hour of every day for the same basic rights and freedoms we take for granted. Their fight is our fight.
“This is why, alongside the international community, we will support Ukraine for as long as it takes.”
Minister for the Armed Forces James Heappey said:
“As Ukraine marks its Independence Day, it does so in defiance of an illegal invasion that violates the very principles of freedom on which its independence was founded.
“The UK and international partners from across the world remain united in support of Ukraine’s resistance. Today at MOD sites across the UK, British and partner forces will stand alongside Ukrainian recruits to mark the occasion before returning to their vital combat training.”
The training programme is led by the UK Armed Forces and involves support from Denmark, Sweden, Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Finland, Lithuania, Australia and the Netherlands.
The UK has a long history of supporting Ukrainian service personnel – the UK Armed Forces trained 22,000 Ukrainians between 2015 and 2022. The current programme builds on this success and demonstrates the UK’s continued global leadership in helping Ukraine resist Russian aggression.
