April 11, the first instructors team formed by the Lithuanian Armed Forces Infantry Brigade Griffin left for the Special Training Command in Germany to contribute to the European Union Military Assistance Mission for Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine). The Lithuanians will team up with German and Belgian colleagues to advance the aims of the German-led multinational military training programme.
The European Union-organized EUMAM Ukraine aims to strengthen the defensive capacity of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the country within its internationally recognized borders and the civilian population.
“We are deploying to Germany as a Training Team focused on transferring skills and knowledge to the Ukrainian military. We will dedicate the entire span of the mission to train the troops fighting for the freedom of the country. We hope not only to share knowledge but learn something that we will be able to use in ensuring our own national security,” Captain Tomas Skerstonas, Commander of the Instructors Team with the Lithuanian Grand Duke Kęstutis Infantry Battalion.
EUMAM Ukraine activities encompass basic weapon handling firing, medical and engineer skills training, collective training at different unit level focusing on the offensive in forested and urban areas.
The Lithuanian military instructors are training the Ukrainians as part of various bilateral and international initiatives. In 2023, Lithuanian Armed Forces training and courses will result in approx. 2 thousand newly trained Ukrainian military personnel.
Photo credit: Sgt Vidas Stašaitis