Military medics in Ukraine to be trained by the British Army

The British Army, together with instructors from The Netherlands and Iceland, are working with soldiers on the front line in Ukraine to provide life-saving assistance to those on the battlefield. 49 Ukrainian military medics are receiving professional medical training, advice, and technique sessions that focus on trauma care.

The medical training course will cover medical care under fire, controlling heavy blood loss, and giving crucial pre-hospital emergency assistance.

The course will last five weeks and is the first of its kind to be delivered overseas by the British Armed Forces.

Andrew Murrison, the Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families, declared: "This world-class medical training is another fantastic example of how the UK Armed Forces and our international partners are successfully working together to support Ukraine's fight against Russia's illegal and unprovoked invasion."

Members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces have requested particular skills to cover, along with evidence from the battlefield which has been incorporated into the medical teaching programme.

In regard to the military medics' special requests, Captain Phil Williams of the 2nd Medical Brigade said: "The Ukrainian students are keen to learn and absolutely dedicated to gaining as many skills as they can before returning home to save life."

The leader of the medical programme, Captain Phil Williams of the 2nd Medical Brigade, also recognised: "The vast majority have been actively involved on the battlefield and many carry the wounds of war. They are an absolute pleasure to teach, and such is the nature of their recent experience, we learn as much from them as they do from us."

There are approximately 49 members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, who are attending the lessons. The soldiers are also being instructed on how to prioritise their personal health and well-being. Optimising the soldiers' health sets out to increase their abilities to fight.

The emergency lessons are not only theory-based, but they also include practical study sessions to speed up the learning process. The trainee soldiers will be put into practice battlefield scenarios, which aims to enhance their confidence with returning to the front line and effectively applying the learnt skills.

The practice scenarios include conducting preliminary assessments on mass casualties with a range of different injuries on the field, treating patients who are victims of mass casualties from blasts and small arms fire, safely extracting a person from a civilian or military vehicle and removing a wounded person while being under fire.

Toward the end of the medical training programme, the 49 military medics will return to the front line to teach other members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces life-saving battlefield first aid skills.

Viktor, a Ukrainian first-aid trainee who is taking part in the programme, revealed: "This course is very useful, and I want to keep learning as much as I can. All the instructors are very helpful and knowledgeable, even for those without any experience."

Viktor continued to acknowledge the hard work that comes with being a medical student. With motivation, he said: "It's a lot of practice and I feel better equipped now to take this knowledge back to Ukraine. It will not be easy, but we are counterattacking now, and we will win."

This course, which launched on 29 May 2023, is the first of three combat medical training programmes. Each programme will train around 49 Ukrainian personnel, with the new knowledge being spread internally during the final days of training.

"Our support to Ukraine will continue for as long as it takes; from providing battle-winning training to donating the equipment and ammunition Ukraine urgently needs," Andrew Murrison, the Minister for Defence People, Veterans and Service Families reassured.