A first cohort of Ukrainian soldiers arrives in the United Kingdom for training

Illustrative image: Ukrainian soldiers unload two British FV103 Spartan armored personnel carriers (APCs), in the countryside near Bakhmut, eastern Ukraine, during the invasion of Ukraine by the Russia, July 9, 2022. AFP - MIGUEL MEDINA

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1 min

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was one of the first to welcome Boris Johnson's departure, expressing his personal " 

 " because the United Kingdom is one of the countries that has most supported Ukraine since the beginning of the war.

In Great Britain, a first “class” of Ukrainian soldiers has just landed to receive training.

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With our correspondent in London,

The soldiers who arrived in the UK this week are the first of a cohort of 10,000 Ukrainians who will be trained at four UK bases over the next four months.

Aged between 18 and 60, most have never handled weapons, according to the Ministry of Defence.

They will be trained in shooting, first aid and survival, by a thousand British officers, without having to worry about bombardments from the Russian army.

Defense Minister Ben Wallace visited one of these bases on Thursday, July 7, and praised the motivation of the recruits, on the ground from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.

On the images shot by the few accredited journalists, the Ukrainian soldiers wear British uniforms – they do not have any in the colors of their country. 

This program, which London hopes to repeat, is in addition to the training already provided by the British army on American bases and the more than 2.5 billion euros in military aid already provided to Ukraine. 

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• UK

• Volodymyr Zelensky

• Ukraine

• Russia

• Defense