Latvia to Train More Ukrainian Soldiers

Latvia stands ready to expand training for the Ukrainian troops by the end of 2023.

Following a more than fourfold increase in training with Latvia's participation, Riga will train over 1,500 more Ukrainian servicemen by the end of the year, said Colonel Mykola Huben, Head of the Doctrine and Individual Training Department of the Ukrainian General Staff.

Colonel Andris Sprūds, Latvian Defence Minister, said about 350 Ukrainian servicemen had been prepared in several training branches with Latvia's assistance since July 2022.

The officer added that these drills significantly improve the professionalism of the personnel, whereas Ukraine proposes to incorporate the combat experience gained by its soldiers into the further training process.

"The plan is to train about 96 unit commanders and 360 combat medics with Latvia’s participation in 2024," Huben said.

Latvia is reportedly training the Ukrainian military on basic combined arms training, officer and sergeant leadership training, bomb disposal, rifleman training, and others.

Earlier, Latvian Defence Minister Andris Sprūds and his Ukrainian counterpart Rustem Umierov discussed the creation of a "coalition of drones" to support Ukraine.

Before that, presidents of the Baltic states discussed regional cooperation and assistance to Ukraine.