The Ministry of Defence said the five-week Combat Stress Signposting Course (CSSC) has been delivered by British Army specialists to Ukrainian soldiers in positions of command as part of Operation Interflex. The Armed Forces of Ukraine’s Moral and Psychological Support department requested this training after a rise in reports of trauma exposure and mental health struggles among recruits.
Those trained will be responsible for helping their soldiers manage the stresses of combat as they defend their country from Russia’s invasion. The course was developed with input from Ukrainian military psychologists alongside specialist mental resilience and mental health practitioners from the UK Defence.
British Army specialists have already trained 100 Ukrainian commanders in mental health first aid for combat this year.
Minister of Armed Forces Luke Pollard said, “The Ukrainian people are fighting with huge courage to defend their country, and it is our duty to put them in the strongest possible position. With hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers receiving mental health first aid training before returning to the frontlines, resilience can be spread throughout the ranks of those fighting Russia’s illegal invasion. The UK will continue to stand shoulder to shoulder with Ukraine throughout 2025 as we have done this year.”
The CSSC equips soldiers with battle shock management techniques for before and during combat, as well as trauma risk management and signposting for clinical support following the fight. Examples include iCover, a six-step technique to restore functionality in under a minute, and mindfulness grounding exercises to override fear in battle.
Upon completing the course, the newly trained Ukrainian Control Stress Operators will empower hundreds of fellow soldiers on the frontlines.
Operation Interflex, involving the UK Armed Forces and 12 partner nations, has trained 51,000 Ukrainians in essential frontline combat skills since its inception in summer 2022 after Russia’s full-scale invasion.