Members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine are learning vital life-saving battlefield skills in the first combat medical training course of its kind to be delivered by the British Army and its
international partners.
The five-week course, which began on the 29 May, has seen both current and new Ukrainian Armed Forces medics being trained in critical techniques such as providing medical care under fire, controlling heavy blood loss, and giving crucial pre-hospital emergency care.
Evidence from the battlefield and requests from Ukrainian personnel have been incorporated into the programme, with trainees being instructed on how best to optimise their own health so they are fit to fight.
The trainees go on to put their learning to the test in practice battlefield scenarios to give them the confidence to effectively apply their skills back on the front line. These include:
-triaging mass casualties with a range of different injuries
-treating casualties with major injuries caused by blasts and small arms fire
-treating and safely extracting patients from civilian and military vehicles
-extracting casualties under fire
Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families Andrew Murrison said:
This world-class medical training is another fantastic example of how the UK Armed Forces and our international partners are successfully working together to support Ukraine’s fight against Russia’s illegal and unprovoked invasion.
Our support to Ukraine will continue for as long as it takes; from providing battle-winning training to donating the equipment and ammunition Ukraine urgently needs.
Course director Captain Phil Williams of 2nd Medical Brigade said:
We have a top-class team of medical instructors, and we are all humbled and proud at having a part to play in helping Ukraine liberate their homeland from this illegal invasion.
The Ukrainian students are keen to learn and absolutely dedicated to gaining as many skills as they can before returning home to save life. The vast majority have been actively involved on the battlefield and many carry the wounds of war. They are an absolute pleasure to teach, and such is the nature of their recent experience, we learn as much from them as they do from us.
In their final days of training, Ukrainian personnel will learn how to teach life-saving battlefield first aid to other members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces when they return to the front line.
Ukrainian trainee Viktor said:
This course is very useful and I want to keep learning as much as I can. All the instructors are very helpful and knowledgeable, even for those without any experience. It’s a lot of practice and I feel better equipped now to take this knowledge back to Ukraine. It will not be easy, but we are counterattacking now and we will win.
The current course is the first of three combat medical training programmes - each training approximately 50 Ukrainian personnel.
The new training comes as the UK co-hosted the Ukraine Recovery Conference earlier this week to support the recovery of Ukraine following Russia’s illegal invasion. The conference galvanised governments, businesses, and civil society from across the world to support Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction, with international commitments totalling more than $60 billion.
Key outcomes included:
a package of UK financial support for Ukraine, featuring $3 billion of additional guarantees to unlock World Bank lending over three years, and £240 million of bilateral assistance
$1.3 billion in US aid to Ukraine for the modernisation of Ukraine’s energy system and critical infrastructure
To date, the UK and its allies have trained more than 17,000 Armed Forces of Ukraine personnel in areas such as the fundamentals of frontline combat and more specialised training. The five-week training programme for basic recruits sees them receive instruction in weapons handling, battlefield first aid, fieldcraft, patrol tactics and the Law of Armed Conflict, enabling them to effectively defend their country on their return to Ukraine.
The UK Government has provided £4.5 billion worth of military aid to Ukraine supplying more than 10,000 anti-tank missiles, 100,000 rounds of artillery ammunition (with 100,000 more planned for supply in 2023), vital air defence capability, including more than a hundred anti-aircraft guns, as well as self-propelled artillery. Photo by President.gov.ua, Wikimedia commons.