Ukrainian Trainers to Prep German Army Against Russia by 2029

Germany will host Ukrainian military instructors at army schools as part of a plan to reach full readiness against a potential Russian attack on NATO by 2029, according to Lieutenant General Christian Freuding.

The agreement marks a role reversal after years in which Western troops trained Ukrainian forces. Berlin and Kyiv finalized the arrangement last month, with Ukraine sending trainers to teach lessons learned in combat against Russia’s invasion.

Freuding told Reuters, “We have high expectations. The Ukrainian military is currently the only one in the world with frontline experience against Russia.”

The initial contingent of trainers will likely number in the "middle double-digits" and stay for a few weeks at a time. They are expected to share knowledge in areas including artillery, armored operations, drones, engineering, and command and control.

Since 2022, Germany has trained Ukrainian forces on systems such as Marder infantry fighting vehicles, Leopard tanks, howitzers, and air defense platforms. Ukrainian forces have refined these skills in combat, adding data-centric warfare tactics that are not found in textbooks.

Freuding emphasized that intelligence assessments suggest Russia could be ready for a large-scale NATO attack by 2029. “That’s almost the day after tomorrow. The enemy doesn’t wait for us to declare we’re ready,” he said, stressing the urgency of learning from Ukraine’s frontline experience.

Russia continues to deny any intent to attack NATO, but Western officials caution such assurances cannot be taken at face value, citing Moscow’s prior statements before the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.

“The fact that they are now coming to us as instructors reflects a security partnership on an equal footing,” Freuding said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has also pledged to share Ukraine’s combat expertise with the United States in countering Iranian drones in the Middle East.

Germany is the first Western country to formalize such a training arrangement, but Freuding expects others will follow Kyiv’s example in the coming years.