Ukrainian military instructors will participate in Bundeswehr exercises amid threat of Russian attack on NATO
Instructors from the Armed Forces of Ukraine will take part in the German army exercises as part of NATO countries’ preparations for a possible Russian attack. This was reported by Bundeswehr Land Forces Inspector Christian Freuding in an interview with Reuters.
In February, Germany agreed with Ukraine to involve Ukrainian military personnel in the exercises to share experience in repelling Russian attacks. According to Freuding, the instructors from Ukraine will conduct training exclusively for German soldiers, but he expects other NATO countries to follow suit.
“We have high expectations. The Ukrainian military is currently the only one in the world that has experience of fighting against Russia,” he stressed.
The plan is to involve “an average double-digit number” of Ukrainian instructors in the exercises, who will be in Germany for several weeks. They will impart knowledge in the areas of artillery, engineering, armored operations and unmanned systems, and will also focus on command and control.
The exercises are being conducted against the backdrop of fears of a large-scale Russian attack on NATO, which could take place by 2029, according to Western intelligence services. Freuding stressed:
“We don’t have time — the enemy doesn’t wait for us to declare our readiness. So we must use every opportunity to prepare.”
German intelligence has warned that Russia could enter into direct military conflict with NATO by 2029. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte noted that the likelihood of Russia using military force exists within the next five years, but that the threat of a direct attack on the Alliance is currently low.
