Operation ORBITAL is the United Kingdom’s training mission to Ukraine, established following the illegal annexation of Crimea by Russia, in a demonstration of UK’s unwavering support to Ukraine.

British instructors have a great experience of participation in military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and train Ukrainian soldiers in full correspondence to the modern NATO standards.

Main goal of the operation is to prepare members of Ukrainian Armed Forces to combat in different conditions, as well as to bring our military units into compliance of NATO member-states’ standards.

At the same time, soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine share with British partners their own combat experience gained in military operations in Eastern Ukraine.

Key dates: 

2015 – UK Government adopted a decision to establish a training group of British instructors (operation ORBITAL) and to deploy British military personnel to Ukraine to provide guidance and training to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

2018 – UK extended the operation ORBITAL into the maritime domain, engaging instructor teams from the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines to train Ukrainian Navy, following increased threats in the Azov Sea.

2019 – UK Government extended its training mission to Ukraine for another three years – until March 2023.

Results of the operation ORBITAL:

Since March 2015, British soldiers have trained over 18,000 personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The areas of focus are:

• Counter Improvised Explosive Devices (C-IED) training;

• Reconnaissance courses;
• Artillery training;
• Tactical medicine training;

• Staff officers training;

• Survival, evasion, resistance and escape training;
• Logistics training;
• Infantry training;

• Urban warfare training.

In total, there were held more than 192 trainings within the operation ORBITAL.