Fighters from the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) will train Bundeswehr personnel to use drones and conduct operations via mobile applications, Der Spiegel reported.
Earlier, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky signed an agreement to integrate Ukrainian instructors into the German army’s schools and combat training centers.
Sources in the Bundeswehr told Der Spiegel that talks with Kyiv about having Ukrainian soldiers share practical battlefield knowledge with German troops have been underway since 2025. “Right now, no NATO member has more combat experience than Ukraine; we should tap into it,” the sources said.
According to the report, core course topics could include the use of UAVs, methods of repelling attacks, and modern command-and-control systemsDer Spiegel writes that the AFU has developed simple battle-planning and command tools as mobile phone apps that can also coordinate ammunition resupply and medical evacuation.
The Bundeswehr declined to provide training details for security reasons. Given manpower shortages on the front lines, Ukrainian instructors are likely to remain in Germany only a few weeks.
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, hundreds of Ukrainian service members have themselves trained in Germany. Bundeswehr troops have taught AFU soldiers to operate German-supplied weapons systems delivered as part of military aid, including Gepard air-defense systems and Leopard tanks.
The European Union Military Assistance Mission for Ukraine (EUMAM) has operated in several European countries since 2022; more than 76,000 AFU soldiers have trained under the mission since its launch.
