Ukraine updates: US trains Ukrainian forces in Germany

The US military's chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Mark Milley, is visiting the Grafenwöhr training area in southern Germany on Monday to observe a program that

trains Ukrainian forces. The US military started giving hundreds of Ukrainian soldiers new combined arms training in Germany on Sunday to aid the troops in defending

their homeland against Russian invasion, the top US military official said. Milley added the goal was to get some 500 troops combat-ready within five-to-eight weeks.

Milley told reporters traveling with him that the training was vital in aiding Ukraine's forces to recapture territory seized by Russia in past months, the Associated Press

reported. "This support is really important for Ukraine to be able to defend itself,'' Milley said. "And we're hoping to be able to pull this together here in short

order.'' He said he hoped the newly trained troops would be able to use freshly delivered Western weaponry and equipment before rainy weather sets in during the

spring. A full set of weapons and equipment is being provided to the Ukrainian soldiers in Germany. The combined arms training provided in Germany will give

participants the ability to launch offensives against the invading Russian forces and counter their attacks. Among other things, the training aims to improve the movement

and coordination of large units of ground forces backed by artillery and armor. The training will culminate in a complex combat exercise involving an entire battalion and

a headquarters unit.