British divers train Ukrainian soldiers to defuse Russian bombs and booby traps. VIDEO
Divers from Royal Navy are training Ukrainian military to disarm and clear Russian bombs, booby traps and mines from cities, fields, rivers and lakes - on land and waterways.
This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Censor.NET reports.
Royal Navy divers, bomb disposal and mine countermeasures experts are training their Ukrainian counterparts to locate and safely disarm mines and other land-destroying explosive devices, ensuring that the Ukrainian people and commercial shipping industry can live and work without fear of explosives after the war ends.
Members of the Royal Navy's Diving and Threats Countermeasures Group (DTXG) - experts in dealing with explosive threats on land thanks to extensive experience in Afghanistan and at sea alongside the UK's professional mine action forces - have used the remote waters of a loch in north-west Scotland to pass on their knowledge and experience to Ukrainian Navy divers, Ukrainian EOD operators and personnel working with unmanned underwater vehicles.
Building on the training that the Royal Navy has provided over the past 12 months to Ukrainian personnel, this is just one element of the UK's wider commitment to train and support Ukraine in countering Russia's illegal invasion.
Sailors from Delta Diving Unit 1 and the Diving and Countermeasures Group conducted the exercise alongside NATO Allies, including the United States, France, Belgium and Georgia, building on the existing knowledge and skills of Ukraine's expeditionary mine action team and helping them prepare for future operations.
The exercise moved from clearing deep-water shipping lanes to making shallow waters and beaches safe for amphibious raids. It also covered clearing ports, marinas and any other infrastructure from potential threats.
Lieutenant Ali, Delta Diving Unit 1's Officer in Charge, said: "It was great to work with our close allies and partners again. We were able to strengthen our relationships and come together as a single multinational force capable of finding and destroying underwater or maritime threats for the task force commander."
She added: "The Ukrainian Navy divers were professional and it was a great opportunity to share experiences and learn techniques from each other. The Ukrainians are really focused and their enthusiasm for the training was incredible."
The teams train with unmanned underwater vehicles - robotic submersibles equipped with advanced technology such as sensors that create images of objects so that operators can identify the threat. Once the threat was identified, the divers moved to defuse the device and make the area safe. The training covered all types of training targets - free-floating floating mines, landmines and improvised explosive devices in, on and around water.
"This exercise has brought real value. The operational capabilities of all countries have improved and this ongoing effort, this constant joint working, has resulted in a truly integrated team that is evolving to counter explosive threats in the maritime environment. Relationships between departments and staff continue to evolve, bound by a common purpose and shared values. This demonstrates how much stronger we are as a cohesive team and how together we can defeat aggression against our nations' sovereignty," said Lieutenant Commander David, Unit Commander, Diving and Counter Threats Group Delta and Echo.
Lieutenant Frank, a member of the Royal Navy's training team, added: "The Ukrainians have been fantastic, motivated and very professional sailors. We have been training together for the past few weeks and have produced a very robust search function."
