LONDON, December 13. /TASS/. The Royal Marines have taken part in covert operations in Ukraine in the first half of 2022, The Times said on Tuesday, citing Deputy Chief of the UK Defense Staff Robert Magowan.

According to Magowan, marines from 45 Commando Group not only escorted British diplomats in Kiev but also took part in other covert operations. "In January this year, 45 Commando Group deployed at short notice — from the depths of a dark, north Norwegian winter, to evacuate the British embassy in Kiev to Poland. The go-to 999 international emergency force, if you will," Magowan said.

According to the Times, the UK authorities informed the public that the Royal Marines were deployed to ensure security of the British embassy in Ukraine but said nothing about their participation in special operations in that country. Meanwhile, a Royal Navy spokesman said that they "served no combat function."

Magowan also said that the UK plans to begin to train Ukrainian marines. "We have been heavily involved in training hundreds of Ukrainian military personnel throughout this summer. We are also planning to train Ukraine marines," he was quoted as saying.