International Legion in Ukraine consists of volunteers from all over the world

A Spanish company is training volunteers to participate in military operations in Ukraine. More than 200 applications were received in just one week.

Francisco Galvan, director and chief instructor of GOA Tactical, the only military training company in the country for those wishing to go to the combat zone in Ukraine, said TV channel Euronews details.

The company recruits soldiers to send to Ukraine after a five-day intensive training course. For seven hundred euros, future fighters are trained in combat skills. However, these are not newcomers to this profession. Candidates must have at least two years of experience in the military field: police, security or military service. Galvan points out:

“This course is not for those who come from scratch; it is impossible to train a person in just five days. We are assessing whether he can really fight in Ukraine.”

Those who have passed a tough course are waiting for a contract with the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense. The most difficult test in training potential fighters of the international legion of the Ukrainian Armed Forces is to hold the won key position for three days. To defend a strategic point, they spend two nights and three days without sleep, says Francisco Galvan:

“Of the entire curriculum, this test has the highest dropout rate.”

The training course includes various combat exercises: running with weapons and military equipment on the shoulders, capturing and “cleaning up” occupied trenches, stress tests while surrounded by the enemy. The head of GOA Tactical talks about the next steps for the shortlisted:

“Our company has contacts with ministries of defense around the world, including in Ukraine. We evaluate the skills of a person who is interested in participating in combat operations and give him contacts so that he can contact the departments. The volunteer must call them himself, “But our contacts are already waiting for him. Then he shows his certificate of completion and gets the job.”

This is done to ensure that the company is not classified as a private security and defense contractor similar to the Wagner PMC. The interlocutor of Euronews admits:

“We have people fighting in Ukraine. One of them returned to Spain for a few months to rest. Then he was asked (by Ukrainian officials) if he could recruit people to send to the war.”

It is no secret that the Ukrainian Armed Forces, exhausted by 18 months of war with Russia, need reinforcements. Many soldiers are running out of strength, and the number of losses is high. Kyiv does not officially name the number of Ukrainian Armed Forces, but Statista Research estimates that they number 500,000 soldiers – twice as many as before the war.

The International Legion, which is supervised by Ukrainian intelligence, consists of volunteers from all over the world. The program for their recruitment was launched by the Ministry of Ukraine in March 2022. The number of people fighting in this battalion has not been disclosed.

According to Galvan, the problem is that many are sent to combat zones without special training, so the ministry is looking for volunteers with combat skills.

The company told Spanish media that the salary for those fighting on the front line is 2,800 euros per month, and for remote positions – about 1,800 euros. The elite units are the most popular: fighters there receive up to 3,400 euros per month. Galvan emphasizes that none of the volunteers have a criminal record.

Euronews TV channel has made a request to the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine and is waiting for comments from it.

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