Ukrainian servicemen arrive in Belgium for underwater drone training

A group of Ukrainian soldiers has arrived in Belgium under the European Union's training mission to master underwater drones, Belgian Defense Minister Ludivine Dedonder said on February 9, Kyiv Independent informs.

These underwater systems, capable of finding various threats such as mines and spy equipment, have already been delivered to Ukraine, according to Dedonder. 

The European Union Military Assistance Mission to Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine) was launched on October 17. The mission aims to train up to 30,000 Ukrainian servicemen on EU soil with 24 member states participating. 

In November, Dedonder announced Belgium would provide Ukraine with ten underwater drones produced by ECA Robotics Belgium and mobile laboratory units. 

On January 27, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said his country would send military equipment worth 92 million euros to Ukraine in its largest aid package up to date. 

Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Belgium has provided Ukraine with defence assistance worth 146 million euros, according to De Croo. He added that his country had also frozen Russian assets worth 58 billion euros.