UKRAINE-CRISIS/BRITAIN-FALLON-SOLDIERS Britain's experience in Iraq, Afghanistan can help Ukrainian army - Fallon

Record ID: 144243

  • Title: UKRAINE-CRISIS/BRITAIN-FALLON-SOLDIERS Britain's experience in Iraq, Afghanistan can help Ukrainian army - Fallon
  • Date: 11th August 2015
  • Summary: ZHYTOMYR, UKRAINE (AUGUST 11, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF HELICOPTER OVER MILITARY GROUNDS VARIOUS OF BRITISH SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE, MICHAEL FALLON, AND OFFICIALS SITTING IN TENT VARIOUS OF ARMED SOLDIERS HEADING TOWARDS MILITARY EXERCISE FALLON WATCHING MILITARY EXERCISES VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS SHOOTING GUNS AT MILITARY EXERCISE, SMOKE COVERING TRAINING GROUNDS FALLON WATCHING MILITARY EXERCISES SOLDIERS ASSISTING SOLDIER LYING ON GROUND ARMOURED PERSONNEL CARRIER (APC) WITH UKRAINIAN FLAG SHOOTING WHILE DRIVING SOLDIERS PRACTISING FIRST AID VARIOUS OF APC AND SOLDIERS SHOOTING VARIOUS OF FALLON TALKING TO MILITARY OFFICIALS, STANDING IN SMOKE MILITARY AMBULANCE BESIDE ROAD FALLON TALKING TO SOLDIERS PEOPLE BESIDE APC WITH UKRAINIAN FLAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE, MICHAEL FALLON, SAYING: "(I have) spoken to the Ukrainian soldiers themselves, they value the training that we can provide. And some of the lessons we've learnt in Iraq and Afghanistan can be directly translated into helping to save lives amongst the Ukrainian army." SOLDIERS BESIDE MILITARY VEHICLE (SOUNDBITE) (English) BRITISH SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE, MICHAEL FALLON, SAYING: "And I think we make a very real difference in reducing the number of casualties the Ukrainians are taking, and we will help them to better defend their own territory." APCS DRIVING THROUGH SMOKE
  • Embargoed: 26th August 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ukraine
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA6DS6TBWXPB53NIJAK5RMZNTJU
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Experience gained in Iraq and Afghanistan military campaigns can be implemented in training Ukrainian army, Britain's Defence Minister Michael Fallon said on Tuesday (August 11).
    Fallon was visiting military exercise near Zhytomyr in Ukraine.
    Fallon had earlier said the UK plans to train more than 2,000 members of the Ukrainian military by the end of this financial year.
    "(I have) spoken to the Ukrainian soldiers themselves, they value the training that we can provide. And some of the lessons we've learned in Iraq and Afghanistan can be directly translated here into helping to save lives amongst the Ukrainian army," Fallon said, as the smoke settled over the military grounds where the Ukrainian servicemen practised.
    Fallon also said that the military training programmes may help to reduce casualties on the Ukrainian side.
    "And I think we make a very real difference in reducing the number of casualties the Ukrainians are taking, and we will help them to better defend their own territory."
    Apart from the UK, several other countries have recently made similar offers. Canada and Poland have pledged to send 200 and 50 instructors respectively this year.
    About 310 members of the U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade, based in Vicenza, Italy, are currently training the second of three battalions of Ukrainian national guardsmen in western Ukraine near the Polish border.
    Training of the third battalion is expected to conclude by November 15, after which the United States and other Western allies could begin training regular Ukrainian military forces, if they can agree on the details and a training programme with Kiev.
    The military said on Monday (August 10) 400 rebel fighters supported by tanks had attacked government forces around the village of Starohnativka, 50 km (30 miles) north of the Kiev-held port city of Mariupol. The rebels denied attacking government troops.
    A ceasefire deal, signed in mid-February, has failed to stem the violence in the eastern conflict zone. Both sides regularly accuse the other of violating the terms of the peace agreement and casualties are reported almost daily.
    More than 6,500 people have been killed since fighting between Ukrainian troops and rebels seeking independence from Kiev erupted in April 2014, according to U.N. estimates.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register