Ongoing operations
Operation EUMAM-UA in Spain will be two years old with more than 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers trained.
Spain
September 16, 2024
- The mission started in November 2022 and since then, more than 100 modules and 21 specialisations have been delivered.
The European Union Military Assistance Mission in Support of Ukraine (EUMAM-UA) in Spain has trained more than 6,000 Ukrainian soldiers. Since the first 65 Ukrainian military personnel began their training in Toledo on the 5th of November 2022 as students of the Basic Training Course (BTC) 1, there has been a notable progression, both in terms of the diversity of modules and the number of military personnel trained.
To date, 113 modules in 21 different specialisations have been taught. The courses, which are organised to meet the needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, have been very diverse: from Basic Recruit (basic combatant training courses), of which about 10 are held each year, to more specific courses, which are developed to meet specific requests. Examples of the latter include the course on combat operations in wooded areas (FIWAF) given in Pontevedra, the advanced artillery observer course in León, the maritime demining course in Cartagena and the 105 mm artillery howitzers course in Almería.
In 2023, the Air and Space Army conducted a Close Air Support (CAS) course in Cartagena. Training courses for crews of the Leopard 2A4 battle tank and ASPIDE missile were also carried out on the occasion of Spain's donation of these weapons systems to Ukraine.
During 2022 and 2023, the Spanish Armed Forces trained 3,143 Ukrainian military personnel in various locations throughout Spain. In Toledo alone, 1,762 Ukrainians were trained in four training modules: Basic Recruit, combat casualty assistance, demining and explosive ordnance disposal.
Over 2,300 Ukrainian soldiers have already been trained in 2024, following the path of previous years, and it is planned to end the year with around 3,200 trained soldiers. This year, maintenance modules for the NASAMS, HAWK and PATRIOT missiles have begun. Operator training was already underway for the latter two. Also noteworthy are the counterterrorism modules provided by the Guardia Civil, as well as the maritime demining and maritime interdiction modules provided by the Navy.
In addition, various Train the Trainers modules have been held for the Spanish military personnel who take part in the modules in order to improve their skills and increase their knowledge.
All this training is organised through the Toledo Training Coordination Centre (TTCC), whose operational chain coordinates the different modules, from their programming to their completion.
The Spanish military involved in the EUMAM-UA operation are highly motivated. The fact of collaborating with military personnel from another country, empathising with the situation in Ukraine and understanding the high demand from the Ukrainian military, encourages them to work with great efficiency and to take an interest in all the aspects that the Ukrainian military personnel being trained can pass on, from whom they receive an excellent lesson in life.
Proof of this is that during the Defence Minister's last visit to the Combat Training Unit (UFC) - the only permanent training structure in Spain - its chief lieutenant colonel expressed the satisfaction and pride of the soldiers under his command at being able to train and instruct Ukrainian soldiers, as well as their responsibility to pass on their knowledge as fully as possible, as they knew that their lives on the front could depend on it.
EUMAM UA, support to Ukraine
The aim of this EU mission is to contribute to improving the military capability of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to effectively carry out military operations aimed at defending its territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, effectively exercising its sovereignty and protecting the civilian population.
In Spain, these training activities are directed by the Toledo Training Coordination Centre (TTCC) -under the direction of the Operations Command, to which it reports organically-, which coordinates its activities with different international structures, both within the scope of the European Union and in the framework of multinational agreements.
The TTCC consists of a Headquarters in Burgos, on which the Combat Training Unit (UFC) in Toledo depends, which is permanent and carries out basic training and different specific courses, and the Training Modules (TM), which are activated to provide instruction in the specialities that are requested. These courses take place in the facilities that the Armed Forces and the Navy have in different training centres distributed throughout Spain.
The Spanish Armed Forces have extensive experience in training missions for Armed Forces personnel and security forces from other countries, such as Iraq, Mali, Central African Republic and Somalia, among others.
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