Ukraine no longer sends military personnel for training abroad — Zelensky explained the reason

The President of Ukraine explained that military personnel no longer travel abroad for training. The reasons are the changed nature of the war and the need for quick preparation. Now foreign officers come to Ukraine. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky on September 16, 2025, in an interview with Sky News.

Zelensky’s Statement

In the interview, Volodymyr Zelensky explained: Ukraine has stopped sending military personnel abroad for training. This decision is related to the changed nature of the war.

According to him, taking soldiers away from the front and keeping them in other countries for weeks is too costly in terms of time and dangerous for defense.

How it was in the early years of the war

Since 2022, thousands of Ukrainian fighters have undergone courses abroad.

• In the United Kingdom, the Operation Interflex program was in place, where infantry was trained.

• In Poland and the Baltic countries, they were taught unit interaction and artillery work.

• In the USA, operators of HIMARS, air defense systems, and some types of aviation were trained.

These programs played an important role: they allowed Ukrainian military personnel to master Western weapons and NATO tactics.

Why the model changed

But after more than three years of war, the situation has become different.

1. Every fighter counts, and long trips abroad undermine the combat capability of units.

2. The experience of Ukrainians is more valuable than training programs abroad. Real battles have developed tactics that do not exist in Western textbooks.

3. The war has become technological: drones, electronic warfare, mobile groups — all of this is better learned where it is applied daily.

How they train now

Today, Ukrainian instructors conduct classes right in the country. A fighter can return from the front line, undergo a short adaptation course, and rejoin the ranks with new knowledge.

Interestingly, now foreign officers also come to Ukraine. They study the experience of using drones, city defense, and the interaction of different branches of the military under constant attacks. Ukraine is becoming a platform where allies adopt the practice of modern warfare.

What this means for partners

Western armies gain knowledge on how to act against an enemy that uses massive missile and drone strikes. This is a unique experience that cannot be simulated in peaceful countries.

Consequences of the decision

For Ukraine, this is a step towards greater independence:

• training has become faster and more practical;

• the army is less dependent on the logistics of allies;

• the country gains a reputation not only as a student but also as a teacher.

However, there are still limitations: for example, pilot training or complex programs for high-tech weapons still require foreign bases. Additionally, the safety of foreign instructors in Ukraine remains an open question.

Conclusion

Ukraine is changing its model: it no longer sends its military abroad for training but focuses on internal preparation and experience exchange right on its own soil. Zelensky’s decision shows that the country has already become a center of military expertise.

This means that the Ukrainian army not only learns from partners but also forms experience that is of interest to the whole world.