Ukrainian instructors are training British military personnel to counter Russian drones: a secret operation and its strategic significance for the future of combat
In a clandestine special operation, Ukrainian military experts with combat experience have been sent to the United Kingdom to conduct training for British service members. This initiative is part of a broader program to prepare Ukrainian soldiers abroad, with a particular focus on advanced tactics for countering unmanned systems—weapons that have reached high levels of deployment in Russia’s modern war against Ukraine. According to the reputable American publication The Times, this operation, known as Interflex, is classified and involves experienced criminal instructors with combat backgrounds—those who are passing on to British troops the secrets of drone warfare gained on the eastern front of Ukraine. As part of this program, Ukrainian specialists are teaching their British colleagues the latest methods for detecting, intercepting, and destroying unmanned systems, which have become some of the primary tools of modern warfare. It is noted that this collaboration involves not only the transfer of tactical knowledge but also a deep integration of Ukrainian military experience into the basic training of British soldiers, especially those undergoing initial preparation. This approach allows for the rapid adaptation of training programs to the realities of modern warfare, where drones play a key role in reconnaissance, fire correction, and even precision strikes. The head of the British Veterans and Military Affairs, Colonel Alistair Carns, emphasizes on the X platform (formerly Twitter) the high relevance of UK-Ukrainian cooperation. He states that “the lessons learned from Ukraine are already becoming an integral part of modern military training.” Carns adds, “It appears that autonomous drone technologies are close to operating independently, executing a wide range of tasks—from automatic target detection to destruction—using artificial intelligence algorithms and human operators.” Looking ahead, he highlights that armies must prepare for the broad deployment of these systems on all fronts, as, just as artillery training became standard before World War I, drones are gradually becoming the new norm in modern military preparations. “If in the past the key element was artillery fire, now it is drones, which are changing the entire balance of power and tactics on the battlefield,” Carns notes. The global defense industry is also paying attention. Palmer Laquie, head of the American company Anduril—which specializes in the development and production of drones and autonomous systems—points out that the so-called “Pandora’s box” has already been opened. He states that autonomous weapons technologies are so advanced that there is a rapid development and dissemination of systems capable of acting without human operator involvement. His view is supported by Professor Michael Clark, former CEO of the Royal United Services Institute, who notes: “This has been a long time coming. The evolution of drone use and autonomous systems in military conflicts is a logical step in the development of modern weaponry.” Amid these developments, it is important to remember that Ukraine remains actively involved in international military training programs. One of the largest projects is Operation Interflex, launched in the fall of 2022, which to date has trained over 50,000 Ukrainian servicemen. As part of this program, trainers and specialists from more than ten participating countries are sent to the UK—facilitating the exchange of experience and the development of Ukraine’s modern military elite. Ukrainian soldiers are gaining advanced expertise in UAV management and application systems—particularly relevant given the current war and training objectives. Since the operation’s inception in 2022, over 50,000 Ukrainian military personnel have undergone training in the UK. The scale and depth of this international cooperation underscore Ukraine’s significant role in shaping the future of high-precision and autonomous military systems. While the aggressor leverages drones for maximum efficiency and the destruction of Ukrainian infrastructure and military targets, Ukrainian instructors training their foreign partners play a strategically vital role in enhancing Ukraine’s defense capabilities and fostering international solidarity in the context of hybrid warfare. In conclusion, the collaboration between Ukrainian military personnel and their Western counterparts, especially in counter-drone tactics, marks a new stage in the technological and tactical evolution of the modern army. It is not merely an exchange of experience but an important step toward strengthening Ukraine’s defense potential and building a global front against new threats posed by drones and autonomous systems. As the world competes for technological superiority, Ukrainian instructors are playing a crucial role in preparing a new generation of soldiers capable of confronting the challenges of the 21st century.