UK to open new training center for Ukrainian pilots

The UK has announced the opening of a new flight school to train Ukrainian pilots to fly various types of aircraft. This is reported by the office of British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

“We will open a new flight school in the UK, where Ukrainian pilots will receive the necessary training to fly various types of aircraft,” the Twitter post said.

Training starts this summer clarified in the office. They added that the decision was made against the backdrop of efforts by the UK to discuss with other countries the need to transfer F16 fighter jets to Ukraine. It is noted that last year 15,000 Ukrainian servicemen underwent military training in the kingdom.

The UK also intends to transfer hundreds of anti-aircraft missile systems and attack drones with a range of more than 200 km to Ukraine, the press service of the British Prime Minister added. Kyiv will receive weapons “in the coming months.”

London announced a new package of military aid to Kyiv amid the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Earlier today, he met with Sunak to discuss the situation in Ukraine. Before that, Zelensky also met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin and Italian Prime Minister George Meloni in Rome.

The trips of the Ukrainian leader took place on the eve of the Council of Europe summit in Iceland, which will be held from May 16 to 17, and the G7 summit in Japan, which will be held on May 19-21. Western leaders are expected to discuss next steps in support of Ukraine at the meetings.

The Russian authorities have repeatedly criticized the supply of Western weapons to the Ukrainian army. Earlier today, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on Britain’s plans to transfer additional weapons to Ukraine, declaredthat Moscow is “extremely negative” about this. He stressed that such steps “cannot have any significant and fundamental impact” on the course of the special operation.