Over a quarter of British army training facilities set aside for Ukrainian soldiers, as UK troops left 'constrained'
11 September 2024, 07:11 | Updated: 11 September 2024, 07:44
Over a quarter of British army training facilities have been set aside for Ukrainian soldiers, meaning opportunities to train up British soldiers are "constrained", a report has suggested.
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The National Audit Office (NAO) found that "providing training to Ukrainian recruits has reduced the availability of training facilities for the British Army" in a review published on Wednesday.
Over 40,000 Ukrainian troops have been trained in the UK as they continue to fight off Russia, and launch their own incursions into enemy territory.
But the programme, known as Operation Interflex, has meant trade-offs in Britain's capacity to train up its own fighting men and women, with army units bidding for time at training sites in 2023 having their bids rejected eight times more often than in 2019, "because sites were not available", according to the NAO.
The auditors said: "The MoD has acknowledged that Interflex will constrain the British army's capacity to train its own soldiers."
Another training programme for Ukrainian marines, Operation Interforge, had to be moved to the Netherlands earlier this year because "the use of training facilities in the UK was threatening to compromise the Royal Marines' own training needs", the NAO added.
A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokesperson said: "All UK forces have access to the relevant training required to be held at readiness to protect the UK and meet our Nato commitments.
"But we welcome the NAO's report, which recognises that Ukrainian troops are better prepared to defend their country from Russia's illegal invasion thanks to the UK providing training."
Of the tens of thousands of Ukrainians who have received training in the UK since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, 89% of the most recent cohort told the MoD that it left them better prepared for the battlefield.
But there have also been criticisms of the course from Ukrainians, the NAO said, particularly regarding the lack of training on countering and using drones because of UK military and civil aviation restrictions.
Some drone training is provided, and it is understood that the MoD is looking at expanding counter-drone training within the Operation Interflex course.
Last week, Defence Secretary John Healey announced that Operation Interflex would continue throughout 2025.
Gareth Davies, the head of the NAO, said: "As the Ministry of Defence plans its future support for Ukraine, it must continue to balance the UK's strategic interests with maintaining the UK's own military capabilities.
"This includes making sure there are appropriate stocks of equipment and sufficient training provision for UK forces."
