Britain is training Ukrainian soldiers to fight in a more “Western way” and use less ammunition than the traditional Soviet way of fighting, British Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Wednesday, according to Reuters.
Britain along with other Western allies has been training Ukrainian soldiers and providing weapons and ammunition to support Kyiv in its battle with Russia.
“Ukraine uses huge amounts of ammunition to defend itself, partly that’s why we’re training them to fight in a Western way,” Wallace told Times Radio.
Wallace said Britain had been buying and trading ammunition “that is Soviet” in standard while also helping the Ukrainian military convert to unlock “access to our ammunition stocks”.
“At the same time we’re training to make sure it’s used in a way that’s very productive and accurate,” he said.
“The Russian or the Soviet way of fighting is very ammunition heavy, massive artillery barrages, and that’s never how we have organized ourselves to fight in NATO,” he said.
Asked whether Western allies should also be supplying jets to Ukraine, Wallace said the use of fighter jets required lengthy training for pilots and a substantial support crew. He said Britain could provide more immediate support through the supply of weapons such as anti-aircraft missiles.
“I think we can help Ukraine sooner by delivering the effects they need on the battlefield rather than the platform specific request,” he told Sky News.