UK provides engineering training for Ukraine to protect critical infrastructure

23rd October 2023 - 11:29 GMT | by The Shephard News Team in London

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Ukrainians have been instructed on how to identify the most valuable elements of critical national infrastructure. (Photo: UK MoD/Crown Copyright)

The training program has been designed to improve Ukraine's capacity to plan the defence of vital infrastructure and safeguard civilian lives.

British Army Royal Engineer specialists have delivered a new training programme to help Ukraine protect its infrastructure from Russian missile and UAV attacks, the UK MoD announced on 22 October.

The training will aim to improve Ukraine’s ability to plan the defence of its critical national infrastructure (CNI) and safeguard civilian lives.

Under the programme, trainees have been instructed on how to identify the most valuable elements of CNI, know potential blast ranges, and the impact of different weapons and explosives. It will also provide knowledge on where best to locate physical and aerial barriers to help protect CNI sites from Russian attacks, the MoD said.

‘The two-week training package was developed and delivered following a request from Ukraine to further improve the protection of its energy sector and has already progressed in complexity from earlier courses focused on basic protection measures, such as [the] use of sandbags and entrenchment,’ the MoD noted.

The announcement came on the back of a recent UK package of aid for Ukraine to provide £100 million (US$121 million) in capability for maintenance and manoeuvre support to boost the invaded country’s defensive infrastructure.