Lithuania has already started training the first group of Ukrainian troops to use anti-tank weapons, the country’s Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Valdemaras Rupsys has said.
“That training is already underway. We are training a large group of soldiers to use these weapons, mainly anti-tank weapons we use ourselves, and they also have them within their arsenal,” Rupsys told reporters.
According to him, the training has been cut short and will last for no longer than a week.
“This is certainly not a long-term course. Ukraine and Ukrainian soldiers cannot afford in this situation the luxury of being able to go through a full course here,” the chief of defence said.
“They are being introduced to the basics. There is a special program, and as soon as they get the basics, they go back and train their troops,” he added.
The Lithuanian Armed Forces do not disclose the exact number of Ukrainian soldiers undergoing training in Lithuania.
Lithuania has been conducting such training in both Ukraine and Lithuania since 2015. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Lithuania, like other NATO countries, withdrew its trainers from the country. (LRT/Business World Magazine)