Radio Liberty: EU prepares to start training Ukrainian military inside the country
Armed Forces of Ukraine (Photo: General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine)

The European Union is preparing to make a decision to train Ukrainian military directly on the territory of Ukraine. About this it says in the strategic reviews of two EU missions, which were reviewed by theRadio Liberty – the EU Advisory Mission (EUAM), which works on civilian security sector reform, and the EU Military Assistance Mission (EUMAM).

It is noted that the EUMAM Missionhas trained about 80,000 Ukrainian troops in EU member states, but Brussels is increasingly discussing the possibility of moving some of the training directly to Ukraine.

EUMAM's strategic review notes that three training centers have already been established in the western regions of Ukraine to train military personnel. However, according to the publication, none of them are currently operating at full capacity due to a lack of proper infrastructure and qualified foreign instructors.

"The absence of a training mission directly on the territory of Ukraine creates a number of difficulties, including the logistical burden and the need to send the military far from the front line for training," the newspaper writes.

In addition, training in the EU in peaceful conditions limits the possibility of effective use of drones and electronic warfare, which are actively used in the current war, journalists say.

At the same time, the EUMAM Strategic Review notes thatthe transfer of part or all of the mission's structures directly to Ukraine will be possible only if a truce or some other form of ceasefire is established.

Reference
The EU military assistance mission EUMAM was established in late 2022 as a response to Russia's full-scale invasion. It is considered one of the most successful EU initiatives in supporting Ukraine.

Since the launch of the mission, 15 Ukrainian combat brigades have been trained in 18 EU member states, where more than 1,750 training modules have been implemented, ranging from basic training to practical exercises using F-16 and Mirage fighter jets.