US military to expand training of Ukrainian forces in Germany

More than 15,000 troops have been trained by the US and its allies

A US soldier operates a Project Origin unmanned systems vehicle during a demonstration at Hohenfels Training Area, Germany. Reuters

The US military announced on Thursday that it would expand wartime training in Germany of Ukrainian military personnel with a focus on joint manoeuvre and combined arms operations.

Pentagon spokesman Brig Gen Patrick Ryder said the training of about 500 Ukrainian soldiers a month will start in January, building on the more than 15,000 Ukrainian troops trained by the US and its allies since April.

The new training push will be on top of efforts to teach Ukrainians to operate billions of dollars’ worth of specialised western military equipment that the US and its Nato allies have provided since Russia's invasion began on February 24.

“Combined arms manoeuvre training is a logical next step in our ongoing training efforts,” Brig Gen Ryder said, referring to training on how to attack an enemy with several capabilities at once.

The 7th Army Training Command, headquartered in Grafenwoehr, Germany, will carry out the initiative at US ranges in the country, the Pentagon said.

Brig Gen Ryder said the training focus would in the use of systems already in the field rather than weapons that could be delivered in the future.

Earlier this week, Reuters reported that the US is finalising plans to offer Ukraine the Patriot missile defence system — one of the most advanced systems, and one which could require months of training.

Ukraine has asked its western partners for air defences, including US-made Patriot systems, to protect it from the heavy Russian missile bombardment against its civilian and energy infrastructure.