British soldiers should not go to Ukraine to fight, instead they should help out in the UK whenever possible. This is what the Commander of the British Armed Forces, Admiral Sir Tony Radkin, told the BBC. Radkin said the sound of “gunshots” isn’t “something you want to rush into.”
Senior British defense officials are concerned that some British forces – whether regular soldiers or reservists – may try to join the fight in Ukraine. In doing so, the volunteers could give Russia a propaganda victory.
No permission
Last week, the head of the Defense Division, Lieutenant General James Swift (in charge of organisation, logistics and personnel, editor) sent a statement confirming that British soldiers were “not authorized” to travel to Ukraine. Swift said that if there was any suspicion that troops were trying to enter Ukraine, the military police should be informed immediately.
In the post, Swift warned that if British service members went to fight in Ukraine, they would not only put their lives at risk, but would also risk giving Russia the “false impression” that Britain had sent troops to take part in hostilities. Speaking to the BBC, Admiral Radakin emphasized this by saying it would be “illegitimate and unhelpful”.
Britain’s Ministry of Defense said it currently has no examples of British soldiers traveling to Ukraine to fight, but that reservists are difficult to monitor.
Frustrated Russians
In his interview with the BBC’s Sunday Morning programme, the defense minister painted a grim picture of Russian forces suffering heavy casualties, low morale and a lack of equipment. Radkin said the Kremlin lost more troops in a week than the UK lost in Afghanistan 20 years ago. He also said that “key elements of the Russian armed forces” had been decimated. Radkin described stories of soldiers so demoralized that they left the caravan of monsters for Kyiv to camp in the woods.
Asked if Secretary of State Liz Truss was right when she said she would support any Briton who wants to fight, Radakin said: “We can all understand that feeling, and that feeling should be channeled into supporting Ukraine.”
