- An American commander appeared to suggest that British special forces were operating in Ukraine.
- Gen. Brian Fenton told the Associated Press that the United States is “taking a lot of lessons” from British special forces in Ukraine.
- The British Ministry of Defense declined to comment on the report.
An American commander appears to suggest that British special forces were operating in Ukraine.
In an interview with Associated PressGeneral Brian Fenton, commander of US Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), spoke of plans to restructure Green Beret teams based on lessons learned from British special forces in Ukraine.
“A platoon of 12 might be shot at,” Fenton said, explaining that as warfare becomes more high-tech, teams may need to have a cyber expert, an Air Force pilot, or a cryptographer, for example. . .
He said the ideas came from “lessons learned from the experience in Ukraine, mostly through the eyes of our UK special operations partners, who not only did this in their own formations, but also learned very quickly that they needed others.” elements of their common strength.”
Fenton said British commandos sought advice from RAF pilots on drone operations and needed naval personnel “to help them understand the way a ship navigates in the Black Sea, more than a SEAL colleague could.”
There has been a lot of speculation about the secret presence of Western forces in Ukraine. Indeed, the possibility of Western powers openly sending military units to fight Putin's forces has gained momentum in recent months, with President Emmanuel Macron saying he is considering sending French soldiers.
In a statement to Business Insider, a MoD spokesperson said: “It is a long-standing policy of successive governments not to comment on British special forces.”
The UK Special Forces consist of several elite units, including the Special Air Service, Special Boat Service, Special Reconnaissance Regiment, Special Forces Support Group, 18th Signal Regiment and the Combined Special Forces Aviation Wing.
The Royal Marine Commandos and Ranger Regiment also include special operations capable forces.
Ukrainian leaders said Times of London In April 2022, special forces were in Ukraine training Ukrainian recruits on British-supplied anti-tank missiles known as NLAWs.
A senior European defense official told… Financial Times In February: “Everyone knows that there are Western special forces in Ukraine, but they have not officially acknowledged it.”
Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron has floated the radical idea of officially sending Western troops into Ukraine.
Talking to The Economist At the end of April, Macron said: “I do not rule out anything because we are facing someone who does not rule out anything.”
He added, “We were undoubtedly very hesitant to define the limits of our work to those who no longer have anything and are the aggressors.”
Macron said he would consider sending troops “if the Russians can break through the front lines” or “if there is a Ukrainian request, which is not the case today.”
Russia had previously issued stern warnings in response to some of Macron's allegations, saying that forces sent to Ukraine would face the same fate as Napoleon's army, which lost more than two thousand soldiers. 300,000 men When Russia invaded in 1812.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, earlier this week, Dmitry Medvedev, the former Russian prime minister, also threatened that Russia would use nuclear weapons against Western countries if NATO sent troops into Ukraine.
