Number of Ukrainian servicemen trained in EU will grow to 75,000 by year-end - Umerov

More than 62,000 Ukrainian service members have undergone training in EU countries through the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine) since October 2022, and this number will increase to 75,000 by the end of the year.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov said this in a post on Facebook following his meeting with a delegation of the EU's Political and Security Committee, Ukrinform reports.

"Since October 2022, through the EUMAM, more than 62,000 Ukrainian servicemen have received training in EU countries, and by the end of the year, this number will increase to 75,000. I am grateful for the EU ambassadors' decision to extend the Mission's mandate for another two years. Our goal is to make EUMAM even more effective. I emphasized the importance of conducting mission training in Ukraine, which will significantly accelerate the preparation of our defenders," Umerov said.

He also called on European countries to invest in production directly in Ukraine and said that Ukraine was ready to sign long-term contracts and develop joint production of drones, long-range weapons, and ammunition.

Umerov said that Ukraine is expecting a new EUR 1.9 billion aid tranche from the EU from frozen Russian assets.

"We also hope that partners will find a way to provide 6 billion euros from the European Peace Facility to strengthen the Ukrainian military on the front," the minister said, adding that Ukraine's future is in the European Union and NATO.

"We will continue to strengthen cooperation to jointly resist the coalition of dictatorships led by Russia," he concluded.

Photo in the text: Rustem Umerov / Facebook