Politics Training of Ukrainian brigade started in France

In France, the training of Ukrainian soldiers for a new brigade has begun, which is to be equipped with French weapons and vehicles for the defense against the Russian war of aggression. According to the Élysée Palace in Paris, around 2,300 of the brigade's fighters are being trained at a secret site in eastern France. Other members of the 4,500-strong brigade are to be trained by Ukrainian forces in Ukraine.

According to the Élysée, French President Emmanuel Macron met Ukrainian troops trained in France for the first time during his visit to the brigade training center. Macron had announced the training of the brigade in June to support Ukraine, which is under attack from Russia.

The training, which will last several months and include officers, began a few weeks ago, according to Paris. Around 1,500 French military personnel are involved. France is therefore responsible for training the brigade command and three infantry battalions.

The focus is also on training the soldiers on the equipment that France wants to equip the brigade with - including Caesar howitzers and armored vehicles. According to reports from Paris, the training is taking place at the request of Ukraine under conditions that are as similar as possible to those on the front. For example, the soldiers are exposed to simulated combat noise, stress and drones flying around.

According to France, it has trained around 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers since February 2022, particularly at training bases in Poland. France is also currently training pilots and mechanics for Mirage fighter jets, which it intends to hand over to Ukraine from the beginning of next year.

SDA