European Union countries will train 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers in 2023, Ukraine's Ministry of Defence announced on Tuesday, as its army launched a counter-offensive to liberate Russian-occupied territories.
“In 2023, as part of the EU military assistance mission to Ukraine, it is planned to train 30,000 servicemen of the Ukrainian armed forces, including soldiers of the territorial defence forces,” the ministry said in a statement published on Telegram.
“The strategic goal is to strengthen the capabilities of the Ukrainian armed forces for the effective conduct of operations, the protection of sovereignty and the restoration of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, (as well as) the protection of civilians,” it continued.
The announcement came on the same day as a European Commission request to EU member states to grant a €50 billion budgetary extension to the EU-27 budget to help Ukraine until 2027.
