34 countries are involved in the training of Armed Forces of Ukraine abroad
5 January, 2024 Training of the Ukrainian military abroad. Photo credits: General Staff of Armed Forces of Ukraine 34 countries participate in the training of Ukrainian servicemen abroad.
Major General Oleksii Taran, head of the Main Directorate of Doctrine and Training (J7) of the General Staff of Armed Forces of Ukraine, announced this in an interview with ArmyInform. Partner countries that help train the Ukrainian military do this not independently, but as part of established organizational structures, of which there are two. The first is the Security Assistance Group for Ukraine (SAG-U), led by the United States, and the second is EUMAM.
The main function of these structures is to organize, coordinate and provide all kinds of training activities on the territory of partner countries. Currently, a coalition of 34 states is involved in organizing training activities for Ukrainian military abroad.
Ukrainian military training abroad. Photo credits: General Staff of Armed Forces of UkraineAmong them: the United States, the United Kingdom, most EU countries, Canada, Norway, Australia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Georgia, Moldova, and Albania.
EUMAM (the EU Military Assistance Mission for Ukraine) does not include Hungary, Austria, and Croatia, but according to the major general, their instructors are also involved in the training. The General Staff official also highlighted the assistance of the United States and Germany.
"Thanks to the U.S.-led Security Assistance Group for Ukraine and its head, U.S. Army Lieutenant General Antonio Aguto, we managed to organize the most difficult type of training in Germany next year - combat coordination of brigades that suffered losses in the war, while restoring their combat capability," Taran said.
He also noted that the assistance of Poland, France, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Italy, Romania, and North Macedonia within the framework of the EUMAM mission is equally important for Ukraine.
"Since the beginning of the large-scale invasion, about 170 headquarters and units of various levels have been trained on the territory of these countries from among newly created brigades," said the major general.
Training of the Ukrainian military abroad.Photo credits: General Staff of Armed Forces of Ukraine
He emphasized that the UK is the undisputed leader in organizing basic military training for Ukrainians.
"Since the beginning of the large-scale invasion, more than 30,000 servicemen have been trained on its territory, and the total number of trained personnel since 2014 - since the beginning of Russia's aggression - has exceeded 50,000 servicemen," Taran said.
In addition, the United Kingdom has created a special training mission called INTERFLEX to lead these efforts. After the large-scale Russian invasion, nine more countries joined the mission - New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Finland, and Norway.
Training of the Ukrainian military abroad. Photo credits: General Staff of Armed Forces of UkraineOleksii Taran also highlighted the professional training of personnel on foreign military equipment.
During two years of war, each of thirty-four countries took part in the training of relevant specialists.
As a result, Ukraine received more than 21 thousand qualified specialists for more than 160 different types of equipment.