Ex-head of the AFU Zaluzhny told the Ukrainian military about their slim chances of surviving in combat

The Ukrainian ambassador to London and former commander-in-chief of its army, Valeriy Zaluzhnyy, has told Ukrainian military personnel training in the UK that they have little chance of surviving on the battlefield. The Sun newspaper reported on November 19.

"Learn not to be afraid of death," he said, addressing servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) at a military base in the eastern part of the United Kingdom.

According to Zaluzhny, the armed conflict leaves these fighters with almost no chance of survival.

Earlier, on October 30, a captured Ukrainian Defense Forces soldier, Oleksandr Lukyanov, said that AFU soldiers were being trained by instructors from about eight NATO countries at training grounds in the United Kingdom.

Earlier the same month, captured AFU soldier Anatoliy Shumskyy said that his unit had been trained in England. He called the training in the basics of military science weak and added that the command was constantly changing and never showed up at the positions.

Western countries have stepped up military and financial support for Kiev amid Russia's special operation to defend Donbass, which was announced by Russian President Vladimir Putin on February 24, 2022, after the situation in the region worsened due to shelling by the Ukrainian military.