The Norwegian army has started training future instructors from the Ukrainian armed forces at a secret location in southeastern Poland. It is one of the most extensive military operations conducted abroad by the Nordic state.
Several hundred Ukrainian soldiers will participate in advanced courses covering command skills, stress resistance in combat conditions, and the operation of NATO-supplied weapon systems.
The training, which began on Monday, will also test modern battlefield equipment, including unmanned transport vehicles, and will focus on training team, platoon, and company commanders, reports TVP World.
Where is "Operation Legio" taking place
The mission codenamed "Operation Legio" is led by the Telemark Battalion, one of Norway's main mechanized infantry units, and the Rapid Response Forces Command, which oversees the country's rapid deployment unit.
The training is taking place at Camp Jomsborg, a secret base in southeastern Poland, under construction since August, which can accommodate several hundred trainees and instructors.
Previously, Norwegian military instructors organized similar training in northern Norway and then even in Ukraine, but the constant threats of Russian drone attacks have made training in this country increasingly risky, explained officials in Oslo.
Brigadier Atle Molde, commander of Operation Legio, stated that Poland was chosen because it offers greater security, being close enough to the combat zone to allow trainees to participate in successive rotations in the field.
How long does the training last
In the future, military instructors from Poland and the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and other countries will join the Norwegians.
The training cycle is scheduled to run until the end of the year, although Molde did not rule out extending the mission.
T.D.