Spain to train Ukrainian soldiers in use of tanks and anti-aircraft batteries

That’s according to the Spanish defense news site Infodefensa, Ukrinform reports.

“The first group of 20 soldiers will arrive early next week. Training will focus on the use of tanks, artillery ammunition and anti-aircraft batteries,” the report said.

It added that the training of Ukrainian soldiers would take place at the San Gregorio training camp, Europe’s largest, near Zaragoza. “The [Spanish] Ministry of Defense confirmed this Thursday the launch of a training mission on Spanish soil for soldiers of the Ukrainian Armed Forces,” Infodefensa said.

The Ukrainian military will arrive in Spain in a Spanish Air and Space Force plane that will fly to Poland to pick them up. The training course will last approximately one month.

“In this way, Spain is taking another step in its support for Ukraine against Putin’s Russia. Defense Minister Margarita Robles has already announced last week at a meeting of the Ukrainian Defense Contact Group that the ministry had offered training modules to instruct the Ukrainian military in the use of an anti-aircraft battery, which has also been placed at the disposal of the Kyiv authorities,” the statement said.

The training will also allow the Ukrainian military to better understand the procedures for use and the storage and transport conditions of artillery ammunition supplied by Spain. In the past two weeks, Spain’s Ministry of Defense has sent in five flights a batch of 1,000 full rounds of heavy-caliber artillery ammunition and has begun to deliver cold weather uniforms and equipment.

“Finally, training in the handling of battle tanks will prepare the Ukrainian military for the use of vehicles that could arrive in Ukraine in the coming weeks. It should be remembered that Kyiv has insistently requested tanks from countries such as Germany and Spain, both of which have fleets of Leopards in service,” the report said.