British Army Trains Ukrainian Soldiers In Mine Disposal Skills

25th September 2023

The Royal Engineers are delivering world-leading training to Ukraine's combat engineers in Poland, with 1,500 mine detectors having been provided to Ukraine by the UK.

Royal Engineers sappers have delivered crucial explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) training to Ukrainian soldiers to disable mines, munitions and other explosive devices that are being used in Ukraine and are currently one of the biggest threats to the safety of civilians in the country.

Mines present one of the biggest obstacles to the Ukrainian Armed Forces as they seek to re-take illegally occupied land. It is critical to the success of the ongoing counter-offensive that Ukraine has the resources to deal with mines; this thorough and tailored training package teaches soldiers munition recognition, disposal methods and search procedures to counter improvised explosive devices (IEDs), mines, booby traps and trip wires.

Training includes how to conduct a threat brief, plan mine-disposal operations, and practical lessons on how to clear not only vast swathes of land, but also trench systems, bunkers and civilian buildings. Final assessments involve search teams covering a complex area with a designated commander.

Soldiers use metal detectors and personnel mine extraction kits and are taught how to adapt the equipment they have available on the front line. They have also been trained on equipment donated by the UK, including VALLON detectors.

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps said "Our support for Ukraine is unwavering and I want to be clear that we will continue to support Ukraine to ensure they win this war and reclaim their sovereignty.

Putin's illegal invasion has left Ukraine's fields and towns covered in deadly landmines and unexploded munitions, which presents an immediate danger to its citizens now, and for years to come.

The Royal Engineers are using their world-leading experience to train Ukraine's bomb disposal experts, who can pass on these lifesaving skills to their own recruits and ensure a safer future for all Ukrainians.

Much of the training takes place within an area designed to simulate conditions similar to those on the frontline, where the Armed Forces of Ukraine are encountering minefields, booby traps, and improvised explosive devices.

The training package, which was developed following a request from Ukraine, is delivered in Poland by 35 Engineer Regiment EOD&S and is tailored based on feedback provided by Ukrainian sappers, some of whom have served on the frontline since as far back as 2014.

The UK is also supporting a Canadian-led programme in Poland, teaching basic combat engineering skills to the AFU and both courses have collectively trained approximately 1,000 soldiers with ambitions to train more.

Considerable equipment and training to Ukraine has been provided by the UK to improve their ability to clear mines. This has included over 1,500 sets of both vehicle-mounted and ‘on-the person' mine clearing and explosive ordnance disposal equipment, including necessary training.

More mine-clearance capabilities are expected to be announced in the next round of funding from the UK-led International Fund for Ukraine, which has raised £770million from partners to supply military equipment to Ukraine.

Captain Chris Wilson, 35 Engineer Regiment EOD&S, who is commanding the EOD training, said:
We are teaching Ukrainian sappers skills we developed during various deployments, as well as evolving our own techniques based on feedback from Ukraine's frontline, in order to deliver vital training which will save Ukrainian lives.

More than 23,500 recruits from the Armed Forces of Ukraine have already received training in the UK since the start of 2022, learning essential frontline skills including trench and urban warfare, leadership, and medical training.

At the start of 2023, the UK committed to train a further 20,000 Ukrainian recruits - approximately double the amount trained last year - under one of the largest training programmes of its kind in the world.

Beyond teaching combat skills to recruits, the UK has provided a broad package of other skills including medical training to provide pastoral care, spiritual support and moral guidance.

Including both the Op Interflex and the programme for marines, the UK's training for the Armed Forces of Ukraine is supported by Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Sweden.

The UK remains fully committed to supporting Ukraine, with a further £2.3bn already earmarked for further military support through 2023, with additional munitions and equipment to be delivered in the coming months. Further UK government assistance continues in the form of humanitarian support and economic aid.

PHOTO
Members of 35 Engineer Regiment EOD&S are teaching Ukrainian sappers bomb disposal skills in Poland

6 July 2023
UK government's humanitarian response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine

13 April 2023
UK bolsters support for Ukraine and low-income countries
Chancellor confirms UK stands ready to provide additional $500 million in UK guaranteed loans for Ukraine, plus $670 million in new loan funding for developing nations.

New money brings total UK funding for IMF's trusts to $5.3 billion to help reduce poverty and boost energy security, plus $1 billion for Ukraine this year

Funding confirmed as Chancellor reaffirms his plan to get the U.K. economy growing to global finance ministers meeting in Washington D.C. this week

Today, Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer, has confirmed the UK stands ready to provide an additional $500m in UK guaranteed loans for Ukraine, taking this year’s total to $1 billion and the total amount pledged by the UK in support of Ukraine to £6.5 billion. This comes as he attends the International Monetary Fund’s Spring Meetings in Washington D.C., alongside fellow supporters of Ukraine, and today took part in a roundtable on support for the country.

This new money will help to meet Ukraine’s economic needs including covering the costs of vital government services, such as running hospitals and schools as well as supporting the most vulnerable Ukrainians.

The Chancellor has also committed a further $670 million to reduce poverty and drive growth, going above and beyond previous commitments to boost financial support for developing nations through the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust. With this pledge the UK has fulfilled the commitment made during its G7 Presidency to deliver multi-billion-dollar funding to fight poverty and boost growth.

This funding brings the total given by the UK to the Trust to $2 billion and comes alongside the UK’s delivery of a $3.3 billion pledge to the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust, which provides affordable long-term financing to low-income countries and vulnerable middle-income countries to address challenges such as climate change, energy security and pandemic preparedness.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said:

The $1 billion of budget support we have committed to Ukraine this year will ensure that the country has the financing to keep the lights on, hospitals running and schools open. This, alongside UK military support, will help defeat Putin.

But our efforts for a fairer world don’t end there. We are also making good on our G7 Presidency commitments and delivering a multi-billion-pound package of support to reduce poverty and bolster energy security across developing countries.

The UK’s financial commitment to Ukraine has helped unlock the IMF’s provision of a $15.6 billion 4-year programme for the country.

In total, the UK has pledged £6.5 billion in support of Ukraine, including $1 billion in loans guaranteed by the UK to support Ukraine’s economy in 2023 - meaning that it can continue to pay pensions and public sector pay - and £2.3 billion in military support for 2023. This June the UK will also host the Ukraine Recovery Conference, focussing on mobilising further private sector investment.

At the IMF Spring Meetings, the Chancellor will also highlight the impact of Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine on the global economy and push for action in addressing developing country needs on debt. The economic impacts from Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine are being felt across the globe, with developing nations particularly affected by increases in food prices. The latest $670 million commitment to the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust adds to the UK’s previous agreement to the fund of $1.3 billion, with the total now standing at $2 billion.

The Chancellor signed this commitment on Wednesday alongside IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva. In this meeting, he also finalised a $3.3 billion pledge on behalf of the UK to the IMF’s Resilience and Sustainability Trust. Funding for this Trust will play a vital role in providing financing to bolster energy and combat climate change, including for Ukraine and other countries worst affected by the war.

Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said:

Russia continues to bombard Ukraine’s people and destroy Ukrainian infrastructure. The UK is resolute in its commitment to support Ukraine until peace is agreed on Ukrainian terms.

This funding will boost Ukraine’s economic resilience and bolster its resistance against Russia. Working with the IMF and international partners, I am proud of the UK’s contribution to unlocking vital finance for Ukraine.

Ensuring Ukraine’s fiscal, humanitarian and recovery needs is a core part of our long-term commitment to Ukraine. That’s why the UK is proud to be co-hosting - jointly with Ukraine - the Ukraine Recovery Conference.

A challenging World Economic Outlook published by the IMF earlier this week predicted a ‘rocky road’ for global economies, including the U.K., however Britain is still forecast to see faster growth than Germany, France and Italy in each of years from 2025 to 2028. The UK avoided recession in 2022 and is now expected to avoid recession this year. According to the independent Office for Budget Responsibility, the UK is on track to more than halve inflation this year and reduce debt by the end of the forecast period.

The Chancellor is currently attending his first IMF meeting in Washington D.C., discussing how his Autumn Statement and Spring Budget have set the UK on a stable path to growth. He will attend IMF Committee meetings, G7 and G20 finance minister meetings and a series of bilateral engagements.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt said:

Our support for other countries comes at a time when I am deeply focussed on getting the UK’s economy growing, and our plan for that is working as we’re on track to halve inflation this year.

A strong UK economy, creating jobs and raising living standards for all will benefit citizens at home as well as having knock on positive impact around the world.

Further information

The Special Drawing Right (SDR) is an international reserve asset created by the IMF to supplement other reserve assets of member countries. The UK is a leading global advocate of SDR channelling, and has committed to an ambitious channelling envelope of 4 billion from the SDRs received through the 2021 General Allocation, which took place under the UK’s G7 Presidency. Within this SDR 4 billion, the government had already committed 3.5 billion SDRs to IMF lending instruments, namely the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust and the Resilience and Sustainability Trust, and today’s announcements go further and mean the UK has fully delivered its SDR 4 billion commitment.

The $1 billion is confirmation of the UK’s commitment to provide two previously pledged $500 million guarantees loans in support of Ukraine. These were previously trailed by the Foreign Secretary on 4th July 2022 (funding disbursed by the World Bank over the first quarter of 2023) and 14th March 2023 in the House of Commons (yet to be disbursed to Ukraine).