Training of Ukrainian forces is currently underway in about 40 training sites outside of Ukraine, said a senior Canadian defense official. Thus far, about 67,000 Ukrainians have received training from 33 nations on tactics, weapon systems and leadership development at those sites.
Two premier training sites, Hohenfels and Grafenwoehr, are in Germany, said a senior U.S. Army Europe and Africa Command official.
Training Ukrainian forces on Stryker and Bradley Fighting Vehicles recently concluded and Ukrainians are now receiving training on the Abrams M1A1 tank, which will likely conclude by the end of summer the official said.
The Ukrainians first receive platform training, which includes operating and maintaining the systems they'll be using. Training then progresses to maneuver warfare, including force-on-force, which is as close to real combat as one can get, the official said.
Types of training required is dictated by what the Ukrainians say they need and feedback from the situation on the ground, the official said, making it hard to predict what new training will be needed more than a few months out.
The official said the American and other multinational trainers are passionate about their work and the skills the Ukrainians master over a very short timeframe is amazing.
Separately, Austin, spoke by phone yesterday with Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov to discuss priorities for tomorrow's Ukraine Defense Contact Group meeting in Brussels, which will focus on bolstering Ukraine's air defense and other near-term capability priorities, as well as training and sustainment to enhance Ukraine's enduring strength over the long term.
Borrowing U.S. Tactics, Ukraine's Marines Thunder Thru Russian Lines
