🚨 NEW: Western officials say British troops will be able to fire back if they're attacked by Russia in Ukraine after a ceasefire It comes as thousands of European troops head to Poland for "Exercise Koalicja" to rehearse plans for a UK and French-led multinational force that would enter Ukraine after a peace deal to help rebuild its military and protect its skies and seas The UK's role in the exercise will involve: - 300 British troops taking part across land, air and sea - RAF Typhoon jets flying sorties alongside a Voyager refuelling aircraft to practise missions to reassure commercial airlines when Ukrainian airspace reopens - Soldiers from the British Army's 7 Brigade (the 'Desert Rats') practising the movement of troops, equipment and supplies - Tests of counter-drone capabilities and other measures to prepare against a "full spectrum of threats" from Russia The force will be commanded by British Lieutenant General Tom Bateman and the exercise will run from 9-22 November, involving 2,800 troops from 11 nations

🇰🇪 🇬🇧 | Victims of the British army marched on Kenya's Parliament this week. They are survivors of sexual violence, bereaved families, and residents of the communities around Britain's training areas in Laikipia. On Wednesday they walked down Harambee Avenue in Nairobi and handed Parliament a petition demanding the Kenya–UK Defence Cooperation Agreement be halted. The agreement was signed in 2021 and has never been ratified. Britain wants primary jurisdiction over its own soldiers for offences committed "in the course of official duty." Kenyan MPs want Kenyan courts to try crimes committed on Kenyan soil. A National Assembly inquiry published in November 2025 found "compelling evidence of widespread sexual violence perpetrated by BATUK, particularly against women from the Samburu and Maasai communities." The committee described the unit as closer to an occupying force than a partner.