US troops begin training Ukrainian regular forces

WASHINGTON: US military experts on Monday began training Ukrainian soldiers and special operations forces in the war-torn country, the Pentagon said.
US troops had already deployed in small numbers to Ukraine to train National Guard forces, but under a plan first announced in July they are now helping regular military units.
The US troops "will be training five battalions of active-duty troops and one battalion of special operations forces personnel," spokesman Captain Jeff Davis said.
More than 8,000 people have been killed since pro-Russian insurgents took up arms against Ukraine’s pro-Western government last year following the ouster of a Kremlin-backed president in the capital Kiev.
Washington has made repeated pledges of support for Ukraine, and has committed more than $265 million in training and equipment since 2014, Davis said. —AFP