The General Bryan Fenton, commander of the US Special Operations Commandrecently stated that the British special forces are operating in Ukraine. During an interview with theAssociated Press, Fenton spoke of plans to restructure Green Beret teams, based on lessons learned from British special forces deployed in Ukraine.
Fenton explained that the Green Beret detachments, traditionally composed of 12 people, could be reinforced with new members who are experts in advanced technologies, such as cyber experts, Air Force pilots or cryptologists. These changes are inspired by the "lessons learned from the experience in Ukraine, mainly through the eyes of our British special operations partners".
According to Fenton, the British raiders requested the support of Royal Air Force pilots for drone operations and naval personnel to better understand maritime operations in the Black Sea, which require specific skills that special forces alone cannot provide.
Although the activities of special forces, both own and allied, are rarely acknowledged, Fenton's statements indirectly confirm the presence of Western troops in Ukraine. Already in April 2022, Ukrainian commanders told the Times of London that special forces were present to train local soldiers in the use of UK-supplied NLAW anti-tank missiles. A European defence official told the Financial Times in February 2023: "Everyone knows that there are Western special forces in Ukraine, but it has never been officially recognised."
This presence has also been confirmed in the so-called Pentagon Leaks of 2023which revealed the presence of 50 British, 17 Latvian, 15 French and one Dutch soldier in Ukraine.
The UK Ministry of Defence's response
In a statement to Business Insidera spokesman for the UK Ministry of Defence he stated: "It is a long-standing policy of our governments not to comment on UK special forces."
Fenton's revelations brought further attention to a sensitive issue, indirectly confirming the presence of Western special forces in Ukraine and their crucial role in training and supporting local troops.
