On June 18 the last Lithuanian Armed Forces Instructor Contingent to deploy to Operation Interflex in the UK were decorated at a homecoming ceremony at the Vytautas the Great War Museum in Kaunas.
Alongside colleagues from Australia, the United Kingdom, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden and other NATO Allies and partners, the Lithuanian instructors delivered Squad Leader Course for Ukrainian military personnel designed to ensure successful squad-level command of offensive and defensive action in urban terrain, woodland and trenches.
The training was conducted in as true-to-life battlefield conditions are possible to build quick decision-making skills and effectiveness in junior command to handle complex situations. A significant part of the training addressed response to the threat of uncrewed aerial systems and Tactical Combat Casualty Care. The training programme also integrated the latest lesson learned on the battlefield in Ukraine which were taught by Ukrainian instructors with battlefield experience.
Operation Interflex is a UK-led multinational military training mission in support of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Lithuania started contributing military instructors to Operation Interflex in the autumn of 2022 and consistently helped training over 60000 Ukrainian troops until the end of the current phase of the Operation in June 2026. They delivered Basic Combat Training, Train the Trainer, and Squad Leader Combat Courses. The Lithuanian military have significantly contributed to Allied effort to strengthen Ukraine’s defensive capacity and the security of Europe.
Photo credit: Lithuanian Armed Forces
