UK paratroopers in Ukraine in show of solidarity

Hundreds of British paratroopers jumped into eastern Ukraine, alongside soldiers from army's elite Pathfinder unit, for an exercise close to border with Crimea.

soldiers, from UK global response force 16 Air Assault Brige, were exercising with Ukrainian airborne forces on Friday at a time of increased tension in region.

British brocaster Sky News was given rare access to Pathfinders as y practised covert insertion techniques.

Pathfinders are trained to parachute behind enemy lines, often jumping from high altitude to glide across borders or opening ir chutes below rar.

Operating in small teams, y insert mselves into hostile zones days ahe of main force to secure territory.

UK operates a separate training mission for Ukrainian forces near Kyiv. Operation Orbital has trained thousands of Ukrainian soldiers since Russia annexation of Crimea in 2014.

joint exercise is being seen as a deliberate show of solidarity with Ukraine.

Senior Ukrainian general, Yevhan Moysiuk, said threat from Russia was growing.

Ukraine and Russia are still fighting in east of country and unrest continues in neighbouring Belarus after last month's disputed election.

Belarus's President Alexander Lukashenko claims NATO is massing troops on his country's border.

Although NATO has forcefully denied this, im of hundreds of British troops parachuting into eastern Ukraine and close to Crimea border won't go unticed in Minsk or Moscow.