Battle-hardened Ukrainian soldiers will train their German counterparts in drone operations and defensive tactics, a spokesman for the Bundeswehr, Germany’s armed forces, said.
The agreement, signed last Friday between President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, will send Ukrainian troops to German military schools, according to Der Spiegel.
Ukrainian troops bring hard-earned experience in drone warfare, counter-drone tactics, and rapid deployment of modern command technologies into frontline units, according to German officials.
They are expected to travel to Germany soon and will focus on infantry training.
“No one in NATO currently has more war experience than Ukraine, and we must take advantage of that,” an unnamed German officer told Der Spiegel.
Details on timing and duration remain scant. Training visits are expected to be short, lasting just a few weeks at a time, due to Ukraine’s personnel limitations.
In German military circles, it is reportedly said that Ukraine has built up “essential capabilities” from which the Bundeswehr could benefit.
Berlin is also said to believe it could learn from Ukraine’s experience with modern command-and-control systems.
“In a very short time, [Ukraine’s] armed forces developed relatively simple systems for planning combat operations and managing their own units, most of which can be operated via apps on standard mobile phones,” Der Spiegel wrote.
Thousands of Ukrainians have previously trained in Germany and other allied countries since Russia’s full-scale invasion.
Berlin has proved a staunch supporter of Ukraine. Last week, VolodymyrZelensky held meetings in Munich which involved discussions on launching the first joint Ukrainian-German enterprise for drone production.