Ten Ukrainian military chaplains have completed two weeks of training with their UK counterparts in the first course of its kind.

Over the past two weeks, 10 chaplains have been trained in the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department to learn more about providing pastoral care, spiritual support and moral guidance during military operations as well as during the post-war reconstruction that follows.

"They will now deploy to the front line of Ukraine’s conflict with Russia, where their task will be to build hope and restore spirits as troops battle to reclaim Ukraine’s sovereign territory,"  UK government stated.

The course, which was developed by British military chaplains with support from the UK Armed Forces under Operation Orbital, was created in response to a request from the Armed Forces of Ukraine and aimed to provide participants with the religious and practical resources needed to support personnel through the most challenging aspects of operations, from bereavement and loss to mental health difficulties.

Currently, 160 chaplains work in the growing multi-faith Chaplaincy Service of the Ukrainian military, which was officially established in 2021. There is an aspiration to increase their ranks to 738 chaplains to provide spiritual and pastoral support in units, hospitals and training centres.

Reverend Robin Richardson, Chaplain, Royal Army Chaplains’ Department, was responsible for developing the programme.

"Wherever there are people, they need the spiritual support, moral guidance and pastoral care that chaplains bring, whether they are in units, in hospitals or training establishments."

A significant part of the programme was devoted to chaplaincy in an operational context, with participants supporting soldiers currently undergoing combat training in Wiltshire as part of the UK-led training of Ukrainian recruits. The specially designed programme highlights the wide range of training that the UK provides to the Ukrainian Armed Forces, including basic infantry training, medical training and training on Challenger 2 tanks.

To date, the UK and its allies have trained more than 15,000 members of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in areas such as basic frontline warfare and more specialised training. The five-week training programme includes weapons handling, battlefield first aid, field equipment, patrolling tactics and the law of armed conflict, enabling them to effectively defend their country on the frontline.