British Defense Minister Grant Shapps held talks with the leadership of the British Army about transferring most of the training of Ukrainian soldiers directly to Ukraine, and also called on defense factories to transfer the production of military equipment there. He spoke about this in an interview with The Telegraph.
— I talked today about bringing the exercises closer over time and actually holding them in Ukraine, — he noted.
According to him, during a trip to Kiev last week, he discussed with President Vladimir Zelensky the possibility of involving the British Navy in protecting commercial ships from Russian attacks in the Black Sea.
Currently watching < p>— Both moves will mark a significant escalation in Britain's involvement in defending Ukraine against Vladimir Putin's offensive. The Defense Minister's remarks appear to signal a change in the government's approach to public discussion of the increased military presence in Ukraine, — the publication says.
More than 20 thousand Ukrainian military personnel have already been trained in the UK since the beginning of 2022, gaining combat skills at British bases.
At the same time, NATO members, including Britain , avoid conducting official training programs in Ukraine due to the risk of involving personnel in hostilities with Russia.
