EU to train 60,000 Ukrainian troops, Berlin to train 10,000 - German Defense Ministry
Photo: Thomas Hitschler, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Defence (Getty Images)
The number of Ukrainian servicemen trained in EU countries will reach 60,000 as early as tomorrow, said German Defense Secretary Thomas Hitschler during a meeting of EU defense ministers in Brussels.
"By tomorrow, we will reach the number of 60,000. This is the amount of military personnel we have trained within the EU. They will return to Ukraine after their training," Hitschler said.
He added that Germany plans to train 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers by the end of 2024, after which they will return to Ukraine for combat missions.
During the meeting of defense ministers in Brussels, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell noted that the European Union aims to increase the number of Ukrainian military personnel receiving training in European countries. He also announced the possibility of opening a coordination center in Kyiv to enhance cooperation with the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
However, he mentioned that the issue of training Ukrainian soldiers on Ukrainian territory with European instructors remains unresolved.
EU training for Ukrainian military personnel
Since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the European Union has been involved in training Ukrainian military personnel. The training covers various aspects of military skills, including tactics, medical training, and the use of modern weapons. They are conducted in accordance with EU and NATO standards.
EU and NATO countries are also gradually increasing the scale of military training for Ukraine. For example, Latvia has already announced this.
Earlier, we reported that Bulgaria has decided to allow its military personnel to participate in training Ukrainian soldiers in Europe.
