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As Russia’s widespread invasion of its western neighbor approaches the one-year mark, Britain’s King Charles III visited southwest England on Monday to see Ukrainian soldiers being trained in trench combat.
Last week, British forces revealed that they had met their goal of training 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers in six months, equipping frequently untrained soldiers with skills they can use on the front lines.
The monarch visited the training facility in Wiltshire, central England, where 200 soldiers are finishing five weeks of basic combat training under Tony Harris, an army major from New Zealand.
One of the soldiers involved is from New Zealand, and Charles shared a traditional Maori greeting with him.
The king and the big guy in camouflage gave each other the traditional hongi greeting by pressing their noses and foreheads together.
Charles additionally observed soldiers being trained on how to assault a trench during a gunfight.
He explained to a top Ukrainian officer: “Amazing work, you. I’m not sure how you manage it. I’m filled with awe.”
The reality that “they’ve returned to trench warfare” in Ukraine, a style of combat most closely associated with World War I more than a century ago, was a topic of conversation between Harris and Charles, according to Harris.
The key to maintaining the line, Harris said, is to dig in and get ready for the worst because of the Ukrainians’ incredibly strong defense.
This year, another 20,000 Ukrainians will learn in the UK.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the wartime leader of Ukraine, visited London earlier this month, where Charles received him at Buckingham Palace.
Charles received a thank-you from Zelensky for his “warm welcome and for helping Ukrainian citizens who have sought refuge from the conflict.”
