The head of the Royal Air Force (RAF) referenced ‘The Few’, who fought off the Luftwaffe in the battle of Britain.

He praised the first Ukrainian pilots to pass out from their training in Britain.

Air Chief Marshal Richard Knighton said, “Ukraine must prevail. Your victory is our victory.”

He paid tribute to the skills and motivation of the 10 young pilots at a ceremony on Thursday.

“From our own history in the United Kingdom, we understand perhaps more than most how powerful the few can be against the many. It’s never been more important for us to stand shoulder to shoulder to counter the aggression of those who seek to undermine our freedoms.

“Our liberty, our stability and the security of the international system, standing up against those who think that might is right and they can do as they wish. We cannot and will not allow that,” Mr Richard told the pilots at a UK air base.

Mr Richard added, “Your conflict is our conflict. Ukraine must prevail; your victory is our victory. It’s been an honour for us to host you and train you here in the UK. The bond between us our United Kingdom and Ukraine is strong and I hope that it will go from strength to strength for as long as it takes.”

The 10 pilots received basic flying, ground school and language training in the UK. They would now move to advanced flying training provided by the French Air Force before learning to fly F-16 fighter jets, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

The MoD said the training was a key UK contribution to the Air Capability Coalition, co-led by the U.S., Denmark, and the Netherlands. It will help build an air force of modern fighter jets, which will form the cornerstone of Ukraine’s armed forces.

Ukraine is set to receive the first F-16 fighter jets in the summer.

The trainees join more than 60,000 Ukrainians who have received training in the UK since the Russian invasion of Crimea in 2014, including 36,000 recruits since 2022 through Operation Interflex, the MoD said.

(dpa/NAN)