On October 3 formal deployment ceremony was held at the Lithuanian Grand Duke Butigeids Dragoon Battalion, Motorised Infantry Brigade Žemaitija, for 16 soldiers leaving for Western Ukraine to train Ukrainian troops for the ATO in Eastern Ukraine.
The Lithuanian soldiers were farewelled by Chief of Staff of the Motorised Infantry Brigade Žemaitija Lieutenant Colonel Viktoras Bagdonas and Commander of the Dragoon Battalion Major Arnoldas Vasiliauskas wishing them strength and a tricolour blessed by Military Chaplain of Klaipėda Garrison Major Remigijus Monstvilas.
This is a second team formed by the Dragoon Battalion. "We are going to focus on the improvement of Ukrainian instructors' by observing and analysing their actions or conclusions rather than the training itself," Captain Viktoras Buiva in command of the team said.
Dragoon Battalion's troops will be conducting training, arranging and evaluating exercises, teaching operational planning and organising marksmanship contests for two months at the Yavoriv Training Area in Western Ukraine.
In 2014 two shifts of Lithuanian military instructors were deployed to help training Ukraine's National Guard; as of 2015, Lithuanians have been training units of Ukraine's regular forces alongside NATO allies. Lithuanian paramedics also helped training their Ukrainian colleagues alongside the U.S. allies.
Photo credits: Laura Skiezgilienė
