BRITISH soldiers will start imminent special training so they can be scrambled to Ukraine “within days” of any peace deal with Russia.
Defence Secretary John Healey revealed that select troops would now undergo preparations to deploy on the ground should both countries agree a ceasefire.
He said the military would “ramp up the mission-specific training to prepare the forces for such a deployment”.
It comes on the week Sir Keir Starmer and Emmanuel Macron agreed a joint British-French force to police a future ceasefire between Presidents Zelensky and Putin.
Mr Healey told The Sun in Ukraine last night: “As Defence Secretary, I’m reinforcing that with the £200million I’ve committed, and I’m now accelerating, to ensure that our forces are ready, ready to deploy within days of any peace deal.”
He refused to say how many British troops would be stationed in Ukraine, but reported estimates have been around 7,500, although officials suggested it could be more.
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More than 200 military planners have been working on the logistics of Western deployment into Ukraine for six months.
Asked if British soldiers would have licence to engage Russians who violated any ceasefire, Mr Healey said: “They will have the rules of engagement they need to carry out their roles.
“They’ll have the rules of engagement they need to ensure that they’re properly protected.”
The Defence Secretary yesterday signed a deal with his opposite number in Kyiv to manufacture cutting-edge Octopus drones that intercept Russian missiles.
More than 10,000 are expected to be built in Britain and then sent to the frontline to repel Putin’s rockets.