UK has trained 10,000

Military trainers who have turned 10,000 Ukrainian civilians into soldiers in just weeks will put another 20,000 through their paces in the UK this year.

Recruits taking part in Operation Interflex undergo an intense fiveweek programme learning the international laws of armed conflict, trench warfare, urban fighting, weapons handling and firing, medical training and dealing with explosives.

The courses, which are being held at sites across the UK, will harness the Ukrainians’ “offensive spirit” and give them the skills to fight effectively and survive despite coming in with little or no experience, a senior officer said.

The course is similar to what British Army reserves undertake, but it has been tweaked to reflect the reality of the war in Ukraine and has direct input from Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) soldiers who have fought there.

The Ministry of Defence invited the media to observe training at an undisclosed site in the north of England, as the anniversary of the start of the war approached.

Platoon after platoon of recruits battled their way through a trench warfare exercise where a series of trenches were dug into the northern moorland and defended by international troops.

Smoke grenades and loud bangs heightened the reality of the exercise, which culminated in a planned attack on a wood, as hundreds of blank rounds were fired.

Artem, 42, formerly working in logistics in Odesa, was impressed and thankful for the international trainers’ efforts.

He said: “They really care for us very much. They have a very high level of military expertise.

“Before the full-scale invasion I didn’t have any military experience.

“Me and my brothers in arms are more than sure this will help us to fulfil the

TRIAL RUN: Ukrainian soldiers take part in urban training at a camp in Yorkshire.