UK extends Ukrainian military training program under Interflex until end of 2026

The UK has announced the extension of the leading training program for the Armed Forces of Ukraine Interflex at least until the end of 2026, timed to coincide with the celebration of Ukraine's Independence Day, the Ministry of Defence of Great Britain reported.

The Interflex program involves training Ukrainian military personnel on British soil and with the participation of 13 other countries. Since its inception, more than 50,000 Ukrainian military personnel have completed training, which initially focused on basic combat skills, but now includes leadership courses, training of platoon and squad commanders, as well as training of instructors.

Defence Secretary John Healey MP said: "The UK is united for Ukraine. We will continue to step up our support alongside allies, so that Ukraine can defend today and deter tomorrow. In the face of ongoing Russian attacks, we must put Ukraine’s Armed Forces in the strongest possible position."

According to the British Ministry of Defence, new leadership courses showed that 83% of trainees felt more capable of making the troops under their command more survivable, and 93% more lethal.

"Recent open-source reporting indicates that support from the UK and other nations has helped Ukraine achieve remarkable results on the battlefield, with more than 4,000 Russian battle tanks having been reported destroyed since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, compared with around 1,250 in Ukraine’s case. This year, the UK will spend GBP 4.5 billion in support of Ukraine, including the supply of more than 5,000 air defense missiles and an increase in the number of drones from 10,000 in 2024 to 100,000 in 2025," the report states.