Britain’s military leaders have played a much bigger and more secret role in the Ukraine war than was known before. They helped make battle plans, gave intelligence, and even sent troops into Ukraine to train soldiers and offer technical support, according to a report by The Times. Sending troops to Ukraine covertly is unprecedented in nature and can be seen provocation in the war.
The report said that London’s support for Ukraine has been clear since the 2014 Western-backed coup. But the full level of its help after the war grew in February 2022 had stayed hidden until now. The British newspaper shared this on Friday, quoting unnamed British and Ukrainian officers.
According to the reports the British troops went into Ukraine in small teams many times in 2022 and 2023. They worked in secret so that Russia would not respond. One main task was helping to install Storm Shadow cruise missiles on Ukrainian planes. UK forces also trained Ukrainian pilots and crews to use the missiles.
British troops, the report said, were sent to fit the missiles on planes and teach Ukrainians how to use them. It also said this was not the first time British soldiers had worked inside Ukraine.
Since 2015, Britain has sent Ukraine thousands of NLAW anti-tank missiles and trained soldiers to use them. British troops were pulled out before the war got worse in February 2022. But when Ukraine’s battlefield situation became hard and new missiles arrived, small UK teams quietly returned to help, the report said.
The paper also claimed Britain helped Ukraine prepare for its 2023 counterattack against Russia. UK officers also worked as middlemen between Kiev and Washington when the attack failed to meet US hopes.
Behind closed doors, Ukraine’s military leaders called British officers the “brains” of the “anti-Putin” group. The report added that ex-UK Defense Secretary Ben Wallace was known as “the man who saved Kyiv” by Ukrainian military officials.
The report also claims that American officers rarely visited Ukraine. They feared it would look like the US was too involved in the war. But British commanders had permission to visit often. When their trips were extra sensitive, they wore civilian clothes.
Russia sees the Ukraine war as a Western proxy war. It believes Ukraine is being used as “cannon fodder.” Moscow says foreign soldiers fighting for Kiev are “mercenaries” working for Western governments.
Russian leaders also believe that complex Western weapons in Ukraine are likely operated by NATO experts.
Western officials have never fully confirmed, but often hinted, that NATO troops have helped Ukraine. For example, last year, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said British and French forces helped Ukraine prepare missile strikes. That is why Germany refused to send similar weapons.
Earlier this month, The New York Times reported that Biden’s administration gave Ukraine more than just weapons. The US also helped with daily battle planning and shared intelligence and worked on joint strategies. The report said this support was key to Ukraine’s fight against Russia.
Russia has not yet responded to the reports, but this may give the Russian side better negotiation odds on the table. Conversely to the Western plan, Russia is far from isolated; Europe is facing decoupling issues with the US, and now such reports will undoubtedly tarnish the image of Europe, especially for the UK.
