France Commits to Training 7,000 Ukrainian Recruits in Robust Military Program

The French army has established a unit in the central part of the country to train new recruits from Ukraine, with a majority being volunteers, totalling 7,000 individuals, as reported by Le Monde. This training is part of the European Union Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM), which involves 24 countries providing instructional modules and personnel.

In the current year, France aims to train 7,000 Ukrainians, some in Poland and others at French bases under the European Union Mission for Military Assistance to Ukraine, initiated a year ago. The training covers essential military skills, including weapon handling, urban combat, open-field tactics, and trench warfare, according to Lieutenant Colonel Even, the head of the military partnership unit.

Journalists were granted access to a training base in rural France to observe a four-week course attended by Ukrainian infantry. The initial goal of the EU mission was to train 15,000 soldiers, but it has significantly surpassed this target and now anticipates reaching 35,000 by the end of the year.

All EU member states, except three, along with non-EU member Norway, have provided training courses or instructors, according to the European Commission. The United States, as per Pentagon data, has trained approximately 18,000 individuals, primarily in Germany, with an additional 1,000 in preparation.

In the last 17 months, 30,000 people in the United Kingdom have undergone military training. The UK government asserts that this training program is unprecedented since World War II. In addition to basic weapon training, instructors also cover skills such as providing first aid on the battlefield, specialized military expertise, including demining, conducting water attacks on small boats, equipment repair, officer training, and assistance to Ukrainian military chaplains.

Training is one aspect of French support for Kyiv, along with the provision of equipment, maintenance, and financial assistance. According to the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW), French aid amounted to 1.69 billion euros in September 2023, placing Paris 12th among countries supporting Ukraine.