MOSCOW, Jan. 15 (Sputnik) - Over 60,000 Ukrainian servicemen have received training in the United Kingdom since 2014, UK Defense Secretary Grant Shapps said on Monday.

"We’ve convened some 10 countries to help Ukrainians train here in the UK. And today I can announce that our programmes have now trained over 60,000 Ukrainian troops since Russia launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2014," Shapps told a press conference.

In 2014, Crimea became part of Russia after a general referendum in which 96% of voters chose to secede from Ukraine. Kiev and its Western supporters, including the UK, have denounced the referendum as unlawful. Western countries have been providing Ukraine with military aid since the start of Russia's special military operation in February 2022. The support evolved from lighter artillery munitions and training to heavier weapons, including tanks and jets. Last July, an international coalition was formed to provide Ukrainian pilots with training to fly F-16s, the fighter jets of its choice, spearheaded by Denmark and the Netherlands.

On Friday, UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the largest aid package of 2.5 billion pounds ($3.2 billion) for Ukraine for the next fiscal year during his visit to Kiev. Sunak also signed a 10-year security cooperation agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Photo from AP