Germany has agreed to host Ukrainian military instructors at German army schools to accelerate readiness to defend NATO by 2029. The initial rotating contingent, described as the "middle double-digits," will share combat-tested tactics in artillery, engineering, armoured operations, drones and command-and-control. German and Western intelligence warn Russia could be capable of a large-scale attack by 2029, prompting urgent preparations. The exchange is framed as a partnership on an equal footing, and other Western countries may follow Germany's lead.
Ukrainian Instructors To Train German Army As Berlin Rushes To Meet NATO Defense Goal By 2029
FILE PHOTO: General Christian Freuding welcomes German Defence Minister Christine Lambrecht during her visit at the Munster military base, in Munster, Germany, February 7, 2022. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer/File Photo
BERLIN, March 11 (Reuters) - Ukraine will send military instructors to German army schools to help Germany meet a target of being ready to defend NATO against any Russian attack by 2029, Germany's army chief said, marking a striking role reversal after years of Western forces training Ukrainian troops.
Lieutenant General Christian Freuding told Reuters that Berlin and Kyiv reached the arrangement last month and that Germany has "high expectations" of what Ukrainian frontline experience can contribute. "The Ukrainian military is currently the only one in the world with frontline experience against Russia," he said.
"We have no time - the enemy doesn't wait for us to declare we're ready. So we have to use every possibility to prepare," Freuding said, echoing Western intelligence assessments that Russia could be capable of mounting a large-scale attack on NATO by 2029.
Freuding said Germany was the first country to formalize an agreement to host Ukrainian instructors and predicted other Western nations may follow. The initial contingent is expected to be in the "middle double-digits" and to rotate in for stays of a few weeks at a time.
Expertise In Artillery, Drones And Engineering
The Ukrainian trainers are expected to pass on practical, combat-tested tactics in artillery, engineering, armoured operations, drone employment and command-and-control systems. Since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, Germany has already trained Ukrainian forces on platforms such as Marder infantry fighting vehicles, Leopard tanks, howitzers and air-defence systems.
Freuding highlighted that Ukrainian forces have gone beyond platform training to develop tactics and capabilities in "data-centric warfare" — highly digitised and networked operations — knowledge that is often absent from textbooks and peacetime exercises.
While Russia insists it does not intend to attack NATO, Western officials say such assurances cannot be taken at face value, noting similar statements preceded Moscow's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Germany's move underscores an urgency to prepare and an evolving security partnership between Berlin and Kyiv.
Reporting: Sabine Siebold. Editing: Andrew Gray and Alex Richardson.
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