Business Insider: British Special Forces Working In Ukraine

There are already Western special forces in the country.

The head of the United States Special Operations Forces Command Brian Fenton suggested that British special forces are working in Ukraine.

In an interview with the AP news agency, the lieutenant-general spoke about plans to restructure the Green Beret units using lessons learnt from the British special forces in Ukraine. He said warfare is becoming more high-tech, so there may be a need to add cyber experts, air force pilots or cryptologists to the squads.

"These ideas have arisen from lessons learnt in Ukraine, mainly through the eyes of our British special operations partners. Not only did they do this in their formations, but they realised very quickly that they needed other elements of their joint force," Business Insider quoted him as saying.

Fenton said the British special forces needed advice from Royal Air Force pilots on operating drones and about naval personnel "to help them understand the way a ship navigates in the Black Sea."

The British Ministry of Defence declined to comment to Business Insider on these words. "It is a long-standing policy of successive governments not to comment on the activities of British special forces," they replied.

The journalists reminded that the United Kingdom's special forces consist of several elite units, which include the Special Air Service, Special Boat Service, Special Reconnaissance Regiment, Special Forces Support Group, 18th Communications Regiment and Joint Air Wing. The Royal Marines Commandos and Ranger Regiment also include forces capable of special operations.

In April 2022, Ukrainian commanders told The Times that British special forces were training Ukrainian recruits to operate British NLAW anti-tank missiles.

A senior European defence official told the Financial Times in February: "Everyone knows there are Western special forces in Ukraine - they just haven't officially admitted it."