The Pentagon plans to more than double the number of Ukrainian troops trained at the U.S. Army base in Grafenwoehr, Germany, the New York Times reported on Dec. 15, citing two unnamed American officials.
U.S. instructors will be able to train a battalion of Ukrainian soldiers (600-800 people) every month starting early next year, according to the sources.
The corresponding decision has already been approved by U.S. President Joe Biden, the officials told the NYT.
They added that the training program would also change, with American trainers instructing larger groups of Ukrainian forces in more advanced battle tactics, including “collective training,” when the infantry learn to act in coordination with the artillery support.
According to NYT sources, the Ukrainian military command was cautious about sending a larger number of people from the front line for training, but with the intensity of fighting decreasing in winter, such an opportunity occurred.
The extended program is, to some extent, a renewal of the training that the U.S. and other allies had conducted for the Ukrainian military from 2015 until the start of the full-scale invasion at the Yavoriv Combat Training Center near Lviv, the officials said.
About 300 Ukrainian servicemen are trained by U.S. instructors monthly, according to the NYT. About 3,100 soldiers have already underwent training since Feb. 24, the report said.
