The UK authorities stated Wednesday that it’ll begin coaching Ukrainian pilots on NATO-standard fighter jets.
CNN understands that this may be the primary official coaching program for Ukrainian pilots on Western fighter plane.
Nevertheless, there was no point out of offering Ukraine with fighter jets, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has requested.
The announcement got here on the day Zelensky is ready to go to the UK for the primary time since Russia’s full-scale invasion started on February 24 final 12 months. It is going to be solely his second journey exterior Ukraine since then.
“As a part of at this time’s talks, the Prime Minister will supply to bolster the UK’s coaching supply for Ukrainian troops, together with increasing it to fighter jet pilots to make sure Ukraine can defend its skies nicely into the longer term,” Downing Road’s Wednesday announcement stated.
“The coaching will guarantee pilots are in a position to fly refined NATO-standard fighter jets sooner or later.”
The US has not but launched any coaching program for Ukrainian pilots, Brigadier Basic Pat Ryder confirmed last month.
Additionally on Wednesday, the UK authorities introduced that it’ll present Ukraine with “longer vary capabilities,” with out going into particulars.
“It will disrupt Russia’s capacity to repeatedly goal Ukraine’s civilian and significant nationwide infrastructure and assist relieve strain on Ukraine’s frontlines.”
Ukrainian officers say Russians sustaining heavy losses in three hotspots alongside the entrance strains