British Defense Secretary Wallace announced on Wednesday that Ukraine had received the first batch of British-supplied Challenger 2 tanks, but he also cautioned that Ukrainian forces need more training if they are to effectively handle them.
Wallace said at a news conference on March 29 that while the first batch of Challenger 2 tanks had arrived in Ukraine, there was "a lot of training to do" for Ukrainian forces to use them on the battlefield.
Wallace stressed that the command of the Ukrainian army (the Ukrainian military) needs tactical training and drills at the brigade or battle group level to adapt to NATO or Western ways of operating.
"It's very important," he said. I don't know what the offensive plan (of Ukraine) is, or when, where or how it will be launched, but I know that it is no secret that Ukraine is eager to fight back against Russian forces in the conflict. ”
"I hope that, with the help and support of our partners, Ukraine will be able to make substantial progress towards this goal: the restoration of the 1991 borders, the recovery of temporarily occupied lands, the peace that many have long hoped for, and the independence of the whole of Ukraine," he added. ”
2. The latest estimate from the US side shows that Russia has more than 220,000 people in the war in Ukraine.
British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said of the war in Ukraine that the Russian army had "achieved almost nothing" recently and had "paid a heavy price".
"The Russian army is currently facing some very serious and deep-seated systemic problems," he said. The latest U.S. assessment I've seen shows that there are more than 220,000 people in [Russia]. ”
Epilogue. In February, British intelligence revealed that since February 24, 2022, the losses of Russian troops and Wagner mercenaries on the battlefield in Ukraine amounted to 17Between 50,000 and 200,000 people, of whom 40,000 to 60,000 died.
At the beginning of March this year, NATO estimated that Russian troops in Ukraine were numbering up to 1,500 people per day, including dead and wounded.