Several hundred marines allegedly carried out covert missions in a “highly sensitive environment” before and during the war in Ukraine to evacuate diplomats and then protect them when the diplomatic mission was restored, said Robert Magowan, a former commanding general of the Royal Marines. , in an article for the Globe and Laurel, the official magazine of the Marine Corps, The Times reported.

This is the first time the officer has acknowledged British involvement in special operations in Ukraine, which involve “a high level of political and military risk.”

At the same time, Britain would send cyber security experts to protect critical Ukrainian ministries.

Specialists worked remotely on behalf of the British government to counter the February attacks, writes The Times, News.ro reports.

About 350 marines from the specialist regiment 45 Commando left “very briefly” training in Norway in January to evacuate British embassy staff in Kyiv to Poland when it became clear that Russian troops were massing near the borders for an invasion, Robert Magovan said.

The Marines then returned in April to “re-establish the diplomatic mission, ensuring the protection of necessary personnel” after Vladimir Putin withdrew his forces from Kyiv region, he said.

“During both phases, commandos supported other covert operations in a highly sensitive environment with a high level of political and military risk,” added Robert Magowan.

In addition to conducting special operations in Ukraine, the Marines were honored by Magovan for their role in supporting the training of Kyiv’s armed forces. “Along with broader defense, we took an active part in the training of hundreds of Ukrainian servicemen this summer. We also plan to train marines in Ukraine,” Magovan said.

British special forces have been deployed to Ukraine since 2015 to train the Ukrainian army, but withdrew in February, before the Russian invasion, to avoid direct confrontation with the Russian army.

45 Commando Group, headquartered in Arbroath on the North Sea coast, specializes in Arctic warfare. The battalion-sized unit was involved in the 1980s conflict between Britain and Argentina in the Falkland Islands, when the special forces took part in the Battle of Port Stanley. The unit also participated in combat operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.