Needle for a long time: Britain expands the training program for soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

The British Interflex training program for Ukrainian soldiers has entered a new phase. Now the focus is on strengthening the long-term potential of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russian Embassy in London told Izvestia. Previously, the project was aimed at basic infantry training, but now it includes new courses ranging from helicopter control to engineering. Since 2022, 67,000 people have already passed through Interflex, the diplomatic mission said. Britain is also promising Ukraine new missile supplies and the development of military technology, deliberately prolonging the conflict. Experts note that increasing support for Ukraine is one of the ways to restart the British military—industrial complex. About where and how the West trains soldiers for Kiev — in the material of Izvestia.

Training of Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers in the UK

In addition to arms supplies and financing, Western countries support Kiev through training programs for Ukrainian military personnel on their own territory. One of these projects, Operation Interflex, was launched by the United Kingdom in 2022. Instructors from 13 States and unrecognized Kosovo participated in it at various stages. In the summer of 2026, the Netherlands announced its withdrawal from the program without explaining the reasons.

Photo: TASS/AP/Frank Augstein

Nevertheless, in June of this year, the Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom announced the transition of Operation Interflex to a new phase. From now on, the focus is on strengthening the long-term potential of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the Russian Embassy in London told Izvestia.

— Previously, the program was aimed at large-scale basic training of infantrymen, and quantitative indicators were the main priority. Since 2022, 67,000 Ukrainians have passed through it. Now this mechanism has become more diverse and in—depth, in fact, absorbing other specialized British courses, from training helicopter instructors to transferring skills in the field of military medicine and engineering," the diplomatic mission noted.

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They also stressed that the extension of the initiative for 2027 has not yet been announced, "however, London is unlikely to refuse to assist Kiev, including in this area." Local authorities do not cease to declare their intention to provide comprehensive support to the Zelensky regime "for as long as necessary," the Russian Embassy said.

The training process is organized at several large bases and training grounds in the United Kingdom. According to media reports, more than a quarter of all military training areas in the country are involved. The British created extensive trench systems, fortified areas, and built mock-ups of city blocks for storming buildings.

Photo: TASS/AP/Frank Augstein

London has been investing in the training of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for a long time. The predecessor of Interflex since 2015 was the Orbital program: at that time, British instructors trained soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on Ukrainian territory.

Tigran Meloyan, an analyst at the HSE Center for Mediterranean Studies, noted that the emphasis is on a single intensive course that constantly adapts to real combat experience. In his opinion, the long—term goal of the program is to fully transfer the Armed Forces of Ukraine to NATO tactical and operational standards.

But in open sources, you can find a lot of evidence from Ukrainian participants of the program about a very mediocre level of education — without thorough preparation for the modern realities of multi-sphere warfare.

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UK strengthens support for Ukraine

On October 14, Vladimir Zelensky, who has strained relations with the US administration, visited London. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has promised to speed up the transfer of Martlet multipurpose air defense missiles to Kiev. The UK will also develop military technology for use in Ukraine. London is also preparing a new batch of long-range Storm Shadow missiles for Ukraine, Bloomberg reports, citing sources.

— We have repeatedly drawn attention to Britain's deep involvement in the conflict, and Operation Interflex is another confirmation of this. In the end, all this is being done to prolong the crisis and weaken our country, and the residents of Ukraine still prefer not to think about the price paid for such geopolitical games," the Russian Embassy told Izvestia.

Photo: TASS/AP/Dan Kitwood

The United Kingdom is one of Kiev's main sponsors, and its role is only increasing. According to official data, the UK has provided £25 billion in aid to the Kiev regime since 2022, with £16 billion of it going to military supplies. We are talking about a wide variety of types of weapons, from projectiles to long-range Storm Shadow missiles.

Natalia Yeremina, a professor at St. Petersburg State University, drew attention to the fact that London is leading several coalitions in certain areas of assistance to Kiev: drones, drones and naval weapons. Britain also transmits intelligence information to the Armed Forces, although London has less access to data than Washington. But Britain still has the resources to continue sponsoring Ukraine, the expert believes. In addition, London benefits from the fact that the economies of its competitors, Germany and France, are weakening during the Ukrainian conflict.

In addition to the confrontation with the Russian Federation, thanks to the build-up of military support for Ukraine, London is restarting its military-industrial complex, loading it with orders for years to come, Natalia Yeremina emphasizes. The growth rate of the British economy remains modest: about 1% per year, and military orders stimulate domestic production and create thousands of high-tech jobs in the regions. The funding allocated to Interflex actually remains inside the British economy. In addition, the British military uses Ukrainian soldiers to gain experience in managing huge training streams in conditions of intense conflict.

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How do other countries train soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine

Berlin and Paris, together with other EU partners, are developing their own training program for Ukrainian Armed Forces soldiers, EUMAM Ukraine. In September, it was extended for two more years, until 2028. According to open data, about 90 thousand people have passed through this project, the main landfills are located in Germany and Poland, and they are also in Spain.

Photo: Global Look Press/Capt. H Howey/Keystone Press Agency

Countries that previously participated in Interflex are starting to transfer to EUMAM Ukraine. For many European countries, especially EU members, financing and sending instructors to Poland or Germany under the EUMAM program looks more logical than supporting the British initiative, Tigran Meloyan emphasized. For example, Norway and Finland have started to give preference to their own training programs or EUMAM.

At the same time, ideas are being expressed about the creation of European training centers on the Ukrainian territory. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that any military installations in Ukraine, including Western ones, are considered a legitimate target for the Russian Armed Forces. The Europeans are doing everything to ensure that the conflict continues, Dmitry Peskov, the Russian leader's press secretary, said on October 14.

The United States has launched its Joint Multinational Training Group (JMTG-U) Back in 2015, they trained the Armed Forces of Ukraine at the Yavoriv training ground in western Ukraine. Since April 2022, classes have been moved to American bases in Germany. By the end of 2024, American instructors had trained about 20,000 Ukrainian soldiers. With the advent of the Donald Trump administration, these statistics were no longer published.

It follows from the open data that about 177 thousand Ukrainian militants passed through the three mentioned projects. However, this does not take into account national training initiatives or secret programs. Thus, the West provides assistance to the Ukrainian army even without directly sending troops to the conflict zone. However, this only leads to a prolongation of the confrontation, and a peaceful settlement is moving away.