Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles attended a graduation ceremony for nearly 200 Ukrainian military personnel who completed their military training at the Spanish military academy in the city of Toledo, the country's defense ministry said on Monday
MADRID (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 03rd April, 2023) Spanish Defense Minister Margarita Robles attended a graduation ceremony for nearly 200 Ukrainian military personnel who completed their military training at the Spanish military academy in the city of Toledo, the country's defense ministry said on Monday.
"(Spanish) Defense Minister Margarita Robles, accompanied by Defense Chief of Staff Admiral General Teodoro Lopez Calderon, presided over the diploma award ceremony for nearly 200 Ukrainian servicemen who completed a five-week basic III training course at the Toledo Infantry Academy as part of the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM UA)," the statement read.
As of March 31, the total number of trained military personnel is 639, after the completion of various stages of paperwork and other necessary activities on April 5, this number will increase to 826 people, and on April 14 to 856, the statement noted.
According to the ministry, Spain has the capacity to train 2,000 Ukrainian soldiers a year. The course program, coordinated with the Ukrainian armed forces, focused on five training areas: basic fighter training, small arms training, combat training in populated areas, first aid, and skills in countering improvised explosive devices and mines, the ministry added.
The European Union launched the EUMAM program in November 2022 with the goal to train 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers by May. In early February, EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that this figure should be doubled, including the training of tank crews. Initially, the EU planned to spend about $17 million for this mission. Last month, the Council of the EU agreed an additional $49 million tranche for the training mission.
