Ukrainian soldiers have completed their training on US Patriot air defense systems in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, CNN reports. The Patriot system is set to be deployed in Ukraine in the coming weeks, and US officials have said Abrams tanks will be deployed quicker than expected.
The Ukrainian men and women, ranging in age from 19 to 67, have trained from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., six days per week, for 10 weeks, officials said. Many were skilled engineers before the war and several have multiple degrees, and all were hand-picked by Ukrainian military leaders to train in the US.
“I think just because of their combat experience back home, they were able to pick up on things really easily – the best I’ve seen so far, and I’ve trained numerous countries,” one US trainer told CNN. “These guys smoke them.”
“It’s been a true honor to meet these warriors,” a senior Fort Sill official said. “Their stories had both been horrific and amazing at the same time. And I think we have learned as much from them as what we have taught them.”
