The Diplomat
The Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles, received yesterday Colonel Yulia Tapaciok, head of Bilateral Relations for the European Region of the Ukrainian Joint Chiefs of Staff and leader of the Ukrainian advanced detachment that has come to Spain to coordinate the training of the Ukrainian military by the Spanish Armed Forces. Spain will train 400 Ukrainian soldiers every two months.
During the meeting, both reviewed the deliveries of armament, ammunition and material recently made by the Ministry of Defense and evaluated the initial training in the Aspide anti-aircraft system, recently completed at the Zaragoza Air Base and in which 19 Ukrainian soldiers participated. Robles herself visited these Ukrainian military personnel at the Air Deployment Support Squadron (EADA) in Zaragoza just a month ago.
Robles and Tapaciok also discussed the new training activities planned, which will continue in November under the coordination of the Toledo Training Command (TCC). The facility will conduct rotational training of about 400 Ukrainian military personnel every two months with modules on basic training, explosive ordnance disposal, counter improvised explosive devices, precision marksmanship and paramedic training. Also planned are courses on cyber defense and the use of the 105/14 field artillery system, as well as a basic course on the Hawk anti-aircraft system, recently donated to Ukraine.
The training tasks will soon be integrated into the European Union’s Military Assistance Mission in Support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine), which aims to contribute to improving the military capability of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to effectively carry out their military operations.
During her meeting, Minister Robles assured that the Ukrainians “can count on Spain” because “they are not only defending their territory, they are defending more things, such as international legality”. “We have received many Ukrainian citizens, not only citizens, also military who have gone to Zaragoza. Now we are sending different kinds of material. We are very proud to be able to help them,” she said. “The Spanish Armed Forces are very well prepared and they will help you in all these trainings. I am sure that you will now be very well received in Toledo, as you were in Zaragoza,” she added.
For her part, the Ukrainian colonel praised the welcome of the people and the Spanish Armed Forces both to the military trained in Spain and to the wounded who have been transferred and treated in our country. “Thank you very much for all the help, for the resources for civilians and for the military”, said Colonel Tapaciok.
