British Trainers Assist Ukrainian Military
Local Editor
British military personnel had started training members of the Ukrainian army fighting pro-Russian rebels.
They would be training forces engaged in battles in eastern Ukraine in medicine and defensive tactics, and supplying non-lethal equipment.
Russia had criticized the deployment saying it does not "strengthen trust".
The deal was announced by Prime Minister David Cameron last month.
However, it is the first time a Western nation had conducted a long-term military training program in Ukraine since its war against pro-Russian rebels began last year.
A ceasefire took effect on 15 February following an agreement reached in Minsk, Belarus, and had largely held despite sporadic shelling.
The British government was also supplying first aid kits, sleeping bags and night-vision goggles as part of its pledge to provide assistance and more British teams were expected to arrive in Ukraine over the coming weeks.
Dmitry Pveskov, press secretary to President Putin indicated that "A presence of foreign instructors in Ukraine cannot facilitate the settlement of the conflict in this country.
Of course, it had been stated repeatedly that it did not contribute to the strengthening of trust or relaxation of tension in the conflict zone.
"It can be clearly said that it does not contribute to the settlement."
The United States had already said it was planning to send a battalion to train three Ukrainian battalions.
More than 6,000 people had died since the fighting in Ukraine erupted last April, the UN had estimated, although the organization believed the real figure could be considerably higher.
Sources: News Agencies, Edited by website team
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