In the nation's first course of its kind, Ukrainian military chaplains received spiritual training from the British Army.
The camp for the two-week program run by the Royal Army Chaplains' Department was close to Warminster, Wiltshire.
The training, which covered how to provide pastoral care to soldiers, involved an initial 10 participants.
It's not just about weapons and rockets, Lt. Dmytro Povorotnyi of Dnipro said, "It's about spiritual support. ".
The Ukrainian chaplains gained knowledge on how to support soldiers morally and spiritually while they are on the front lines of battle.
Military chaplains, who represent a wide range of religions, carry out tasks like helping grieving soldiers and their families, presiding over religious services, and offering private counseling.
Chaplains have been available since 1945 wherever British soldiers have been stationed.
"We have the understanding that the umbrella that covers Ukraine, it's our armed forces," said Lt. Povorotnyi, who made the decision to become a military chaplain following the occupation of Crimea in 2014.
"The reason our men and women are so strong is because they defend Ukraine from its cruel enemies. However, even the combatants require some form of safety. ".
Lt Taras Kotsyuba, a military chaplain since 2014, left his family to assist Ukrainian troops in their conflict with Russia.
In the west of the nation, close to Lviv, his wife and kids still reside in their hometown.
I wanted to contribute to their future, he said. Even though I cannot carry a weapon because I am a priest, I can still stand with the soldiers who felt compelled to join the war because they could not accept the idea of Russian occupation. ".
Since it was formally established in 2021, the command structure of the Ukrainian army has added a total of 160 chaplains.
Col. Vitali Skrybets, commander of the military chaplaincy branch of the Ukrainian armed forces, asserted that additional efforts were required to provide soldiers with the proper care.
More than 700 chaplains are required, he declared.
A chaplain in the Royal Army Chaplains' Department who assisted in the design and delivery of the training to the Ukrainian visitors, Reverend Robin Richardson, expressed his hope that more chaplains could take the course.
The chaplains' department, which has been growing over the past two years, is led by the chaplains who are currently enrolled in the course. ".
The United Kingdom's chief executive and commandant of the Defense Academy, Maj Gen Andrew Roe CB, said the chaplains' visit provided a "rare opportunity to capitalize on the excellent expertise offered by the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre."
