The Pentagon has confirmed that United States forces have begun training Ukrainian forces on Howitzer artillery, radar systems, and armored vehicles in Germany, as well as two other undisclosed countries (my best guess is that Poland is one of them as well). Press secretary John Kirby stated that the training is “part of security assistance packages” and is being carried out by Florida National Guardsmen who were part of the Joint Multinational Training Group (JMTGU), such as the 53rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team. The JMTGU was deployed to Ukraine in December 2021, but was evacuated from the country as the threat of Russian invasion grew.

Kirby said “The recent reunion of these Florida National Guard members with their Ukrainian colleagues, we are told, was an emotional meeting, given the strong bonds that were formed as they were living and working together before temporarily parting ways in February,” adding that the training is “designed to help Ukraine win their battles today and build strength for tomorrow.”

A statement from the United States Department of Defense expalined that “U.S. officials want to make the training useful and constructive, but not onerous — meaning the Ukrainians are fighting a war in their country and do not have the time for long training classes. As such, the Ukraine military chose artillery personnel to learn to operate the M-777 howitzer. They have the background needed to operate artillery and just need to learn the peculiarities of the American system.”  

“The same is true of radar operators. While they will receive American systems, these soldiers have already learned about radar and just need to learn what buttons to push, or what pulses mean on American sets. These Ukrainians soldiers will then go back to Ukraine and teach their fellow soldiers how to use the equipment effectively,” the statement added.