Two European countries step up with a proposal to establish a special course for the servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on mine clearing and provide them with the necessary equipment. They will learn mine detection, removal of booby traps and unexploded ordnance disposal.
The Minister of Defense of the Netherlands Kajsa Ollongren said that the training is organized on request from her Ukrainian counterpart minister Reznikov. The training program’s purpose is to help Ukraine to have modern armed forces in the long term, she noted in the joint statement with German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht, after the meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group held at Ramstein Air Base in Germany on September 8.
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It should be noted, that the new initiative is seen as the "extension" of the effort in training Ukrainian personnel done so far, because Ukrainian troops have been and continue to receive knowledge on operating various modern arsenal, such as the recently supplied COBRA radars. And the Netherlands already participates in the UK-led courses on basic combat training for Ukrainian troops in the United Kingdom.
The specialized mine-clearance course will take place in the city of Stetten am Kalten Markt in Germany.
In addition to the training program, Germany committed the so-called "Winter Package" for the military which includes power generators, thermal clothing, food and field gear that should "significantly increase the endurance of the Ukrainian soldiers", and promised to deliver the promised Gepard and Biber vehicles soon.
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