On August 4, Canadian defence minister Anita Anand announced that Canada would send 225 military instructors to England as part of its support for the British Ukrainian soldier training program. This is already the second team of Canadian experts who take part in training soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
"We have entered a new and perilous phase in this conflict — Russia is making a sustained attempt to inflict long-term damage on Ukraine and its people," Anita Anand.
"Canada is known for the quality of training it provides to other nations. This training, as we have seen, results in strategic effect of great value. From recent engagements such as the Ukraine Defense Contact Group, it is abundantly clear that training is a critical component to sustaining Ukraine’s capacity to defend itself in the short to long term. Building on the Canadian Armed Forces’ already close relationship with the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Canada is proud to work alongside like-minded nations such as the United Kingdom to further support their training need," general Wayne Eyre, chief of the defence staff.
Canada not only helps Britain to educate Ukrainians but also organizes large-scale programs both on its territory and directly in Ukraine. Since 2015, more than 33.000 Ukrainians have been trained in Canada. After February 24, the Canadians left Ukraine, and the program was temporarily suspended. Now, however, Anand is declaring his intention to resume the training of soldiers.
"And today, I am announcing that we are keeping our promise and will return to massive training programs," Anita Anand.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine training takes place at the south base of England in Wiltshire. The program involves instructors from Britain, Canada, New Zealand and the Netherlands. Military instructors note that Ukrainians have very strong motivation: they want to learn quickly and go to defend their homeland.
"Their motivation to learn as quickly as possible is incredibly strong... They rarely rest. They understand that they do not have much time, so they want to learn as many new skills as possible, they just work, work and work — and ask a lot of questions: how to move faster, how to act faster, how to use weapons? There's a lot of emphasis on speed," Artillery Officer Rebecca Bullock.
"We definitely see a high degree of motivation and dedication of these guys, who are committed to protecting Ukraine," Jonathan Dick, a New Zealand captain who trains Ukrainians to operate L119 howitzers.
