Ukrainian soldiers trained in the UK were given free cigarettes under a deal brokered by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), despite the dangers of smoking.
The arrangement allowed tobacco donated to the troops to be imported duty free as part of their rations.
It came after complaints from the soldiers that cigarettes were too expensive in the UK and in too short supply at the training bases to meet their needs.
A pack of 20 cigarettes in Ukraine costs £1.70, compared with the UK’s price of £15.67 since last December.
The deal was facilitated by Ben Wallace, the then defence secretary, working with Oleksii Reznikov, his Ukrainian counterpart, amid claims that the cigarette shortages were impeding the soldiers’ ability to concentrate on their training and posed a risk to morale from the lack of “creature comforts”.
The deal was arranged shortly after the first Ukrainians arrived for training in the summer of 2022, but has been disclosed only now, just days after Rishi Sunak secured the second reading of his Bill to ban smoking for an entire generation of young people.
Cigarettes given to soldiers as part of rations
Mr Wallace and his aides smoothed the duty implications with the Treasury and cleared the legal risks with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), which leads on the Government’s public health campaigns to reduce smoking.
The cigarettes were donated by an international tobacco firm and given to the soldiers as part of their rations. They were also offered healthier alternatives such as vapes and nicotine pouches and advice on the risks of smoking. Sources stressed no cigarettes were offered to non-smoking Ukrainians.
One source familiar with the deal said: “It is fair to say that smoking is going to be less of a threat to these brave soldiers’ lives than fighting Putin’s illegal invasion of their country.”
A Ukrainian government source told The Telegraph: “It was a very long and complicated bureaucratic process but we did it. It was hugely appreciated by our soldiers.”
The MoD’s Operation Interflex, which has so far trained 60,000 Ukrainian military personnel, was launched in July 2022 with the first soldiers dispatched to several bases across the UK. In March, tobacco giant Philip Morris, which has plants in Ukraine, had donated 500,000 packs of cigarettes to the Ukrainian military.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.
