General Staff assures that training of Ukrainian troops abroad continues
Major Dmytro Lykhovii, an officer of the media relations department of the Public Communications Directorate of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, stated this to Ukrinform.
"The Armed Forces of Ukraine, with the support of foreign partners, continue training Ukrainian servicemen abroad. This includes professional training on foreign weapons and military equipment, training of commander-leaders, senior sergeants, instructors, as well as basic combined-arms training. For 2026, basic training activities are planned in three European Union countries, supported by a total of four NATO member states," Lykhovii said.
At the same time, he noted that over the past two years, the volume of personnel undergoing basic training abroad has noticeably decreased, as Ukraine is increasing both the quantity and quality of training within its own territory. Training is being shifted to safer regions, while training grounds are strengthening security measures and dispersing. Basic training is also partly conducted within combat brigades.
The General Staff emphasized that a key factor in changing training locations is the better integration of combat experience into Ukrainian training centers by domestic instructors. Legal and regulatory requirements in many EU and NATO countries are also taken into account.
"In Ukraine, we can conduct training with intensive use of drones, electronic warfare systems, night shooting, and measures to strengthen psychological resilience without unnecessary complications. In addition, training in Ukraine does not require complex logistics," Lykhovii explained.
At the same time, he noted clear advantages of training abroad: high-quality training infrastructure, no interruptions due to air raid alerts, and strong basic-level instructors. Therefore, training of Ukrainian troops in NATO countries is continuing.
The General Staff is confident that Ukraine's Armed Forces are capable of preparing the required number of personnel independently – adapting to the demands of modern high-tech warfare, with an increasing role of unmanned systems and the use of their own combat experience. This experience has been incorporated into the sixth edition of the basic training program, which has also attracted interest from Western partners.
Lykhovii also said that training abroad has undergone clustering and optimization.
"Short lists of partner countries have been defined that specialize in basic training, leadership training, and technical or professional training. Some partner countries are redirecting their resources to train our troops in third countries, ensuring more efficient use of financial and material resources," he added.
As previously reported by Ukrinform, the General Staff plans to refine and implement combat experience gained in 2025 within the military.
