- 100 Ukrainian commanders received mental health training in 2024
- Specialist skills to build morale and resilience in Ukrainian forces
- Bespoke course designed by both UK and Ukrainian experts
The UK will train 180 Ukrainian soldiers to be combat mental resilience practitioners on the frontlines in 2025 – nearly double the 100 who were successfully trained this year.
The Combat Stress Signposting Course (CSSC) has been delivered by British Army specialists to Ukrainian soldiers within positions of command as part of Operation Interflex, the UK-led international training programme for Ukrainian recruits.
As combat mental resilience practitioners– officially termed control stress operators– the Ukrainian commanders will be responsible for helping their soldiers manage the stresses of combat as they defend their nation from Russia’s illegal and unprovoked full-scale invasion.
So far, more than 51,000 Ukrainian troops have been trained in the UK under Operation Interflex.
Following a rise in recruits reporting trauma exposure and mental health struggles, the CSSC was initiated on the request of the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s Moral and Psychological Support department.
Developed with input from Ukrainian military psychologists alongside specialist mental resilience and mental health practitioners from UK Defence, the five-week course equips soldiers with battle shock management techniques for before and during combat, as well as trauma risk management and signposting for clinical support following the fight.
Minister of Armed Forces Luke Pollard said:
“The Ukrainian people are fighting with huge courage to defend their country, and it is our duty to put them in the strongest possible position.
“With hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers receiving mental health first aid training before returning to the frontlines, resilience can be spread throughout the ranks of those fighting Russia’s illegal invasion.
“The UK will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine throughout 2025 as we have done this year.”
Upon completion of the course, the newly equipped Ukrainian Control Stress Operators will have the power to train and support hundreds of their fellow soldiers on the frontlines, ensuring the initial lessons taught by British instructors continue to be spread far beyond the UK.
An example of the battle shock management techniques being taught by British soldiers includes iCover; a six-step technique that can be delivered to a person in acute stress to get them back to a functioning state in less than a minute, as well as mindfulness grounding exercises that help a soldier override their fear or stress in the heat of battle.
Operation Interflex, conducted by the UK Armed Forces and 12 partner nations, has trained 51,000 Ukrainians in essential frontline combat skills since it was established in the summer of 2022 following Russia’s full-scale invasion. The training has been extended through to at least the end of 2025, with an enhanced training programme to ensure the Ukrainian forces are equipped with vital battlefield skills.
During a visit to Kyiv on 19 December, the Defence Secretary announced a new £225M military package with a mix of funding from the UK-administered International Fund for Ukraine and the UK’s own funding.
The UK’s continued leadership on the war in Ukraine throughout 2025 will see an increase to Ukraine’s military capability: with new maritime drones and boats, air defence systems and counter-drone systems.