The UK’s National Audit Office (NAO) has found that the British Army’s ongoing training of Ukrainian soldiers is affecting its capacity to train its own troops.
In a recent report, the public spending watchdog revealed that over a quarter of the army’s training facilities are being used by Ukrainian military recruits undergoing basic infantry training.
As a result, British Army units bidding for training areas were reportedly rejected eight times more often in 2023 than the previous years.
The issue also nearly affected the Royal Marines, but they refused to compromise their own training needs, forcing the Ukrainian marines to train in the Netherlands instead.
NAO head Gareth Davis has called on the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) to balance its support for Ukraine with its own strategic and defense needs.
“This includes making sure there are appropriate stocks of equipment and sufficient training provision for UK forces,” he noted.
Still Lacking
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, the UK has trained more than 45,000 Ukrainian soldiers on its soil, according to the MoD.
Most of the trainees reported feeling better prepared for the battlefield.
Despite the significant resources allocated, some Ukrainian soldiers have found the training lacking in some areas such as counter-drone tactics and strategic vehicle use.
The MoD explained that they are unable to meet Ukraine’s counter-drone training requirements due to the existing military and civil aviation restrictions in the UK.
It also noted that the training does not include exercises involving military vehicles due to associated risks.
‘Outdated Training’
This is not the first time UK military training has been scrutinized publicly.
In July, senior air force official Blythe Crawford claimed that the country’s military training program is a decade out of date, affecting its preparedness for a full-scale war.
He further said nobody in the British Armed Forces is training for modern battlefield scenarios similar to what is observed in Ukraine.
