Ukrainian Military Chaplains Complete Training In UK - UK Defense Ministry

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th June, 2023) Ten Ukrainian military chaplains have completed the first ever two-week training program with the British army in the United Kingdom at Kiev's request, the UK Defense Ministry said on Monday.

"Ukrainian military chaplains have graduated from the first course of its kind to be run on British soil. For the last two weeks, ten chaplains have been embedded with the Royal Army Chaplains' Department of the British Army to learn more about providing pastoral care, spiritual support and moral guidance during military operations," the ministry said in a statement.

The training program was prepared at a request by the Ukrainian armed forces to boost its chaplains' skills and expertise, the statement read. Now, the chaplains will be deployed to the front line to provide spiritual guidance to other Ukrainian military, the UK Defense Ministry said.

"The ability to deliver pastoral care, spiritual support and moral guidance has made chaplaincy a critical capability for Ukrainian commanders. Chaplains are in demand and it is truly humbling to be asked to support them in deepening their understanding of their role within war," UK Chaplain Gen. Michael Parker was quoted in the statement as saying.

The multi-confessional chaplaincy unit of the Ukrainian military was formed in 2021. To date, it consists of 160 chaplains, with the Ukrainian authorities seeking to increase it up to 738 members, the statement read.

The United Kingdom and other countries have trained over 15,000 Ukrainian military personnel since February 2022, the UK Defense Ministry said. Last year, London transferred 2.3 billion Pounds ($2.85 billion) in military aid to Kiev.