The Minister for Defence presides over a tribute to civilians and soldiers who have died in the war in Ukraine

The Minister for Defence, Margarita Robles, reviews the troops in tribute to civilians and soldiers who have died in the war in Ukraine

Margarita Robles was accompanied by the Ukrainian Ambassador to Spain, Serhii Pohoreltsev; the Chief of Defence Staff, Admiral General Teodoro López Calderón; the Government Delegate in Castilla-La Mancha, Milagros Tolón Jaime; the Spokesperson for the Regional Government of Castilla-La Mancha, Esther Padilla Ruiz; the Secretary General for Defence Policy, Admiral Juan Francisco Martínez Núñez; the Commander of the Operations Command, Lieutenant General Francisco Braco Carbó; the Director of the Toledo Training Command, Major General Rafael Colomer Martínez del Peral; and the Director of the Infantry Academy, Colonel Álvaro Diaz Fernandez.

Prior to the tribute, the Minister for Defence held a videoconference with Ukrainian general officers.

The ceremony began with the Ukrainian and Spanish national anthems, the singing of "Death is not the end", and the laying of a laurel wreath by Margarita Robles, the Ukrainian ambassador and the Spanish Chief of Defence Staff. This was followed by a prayer read by a Spanish priest and a Ukrainian pope.

After the prayer service, the Ukrainian captain in charge of the Basic Training Module, the Ukrainian ambassador to Spain and the Minister for Defence spoke.

Robles pointed out that "your cause is the cause of peace and freedom; it is the cause of all Spaniards. Your efforts in this cruel war will be thanked by your children. Your wounded and your casualties are the casualties of all of us who believe in freedom".

She added that "Spain defends your cause... Let no one forget that Putin is a threat, not only to Ukraine, but to every other country".

"As a Spaniard, I am proud to be able to help Ukraine and, as a woman, to see how Ukrainian women soldiers have left their families behind to defend their country," she concluded.

For his part, the Ukrainian ambassador to Spain pointed out that "we are here to honour the Ukrainians who have given their lives to defend the freedom and territorial integrity of Ukraine. I would like to highlight and express my gratitude for the support we are receiving from the Spanish people".

He also thanked the Minister for Defence and President Sánchez for their support and words of thanks. For us," he said, "it is very important to feel and have the moral and military support of European countries. We will win, and it will be thanks to your support".

Training of the Ukrainian Armed Forces

Spain takes part in the European Union Military Assistance Mission in Support of Ukraine (EUMAM-UA) to carry out training activities in support of the training of the Ukrainian Armed Forces at the Toledo Training Coordination Centre (TTCC).

Both basic and more specific training takes place at the centre. The training of the first Ukrainian contingent began on 14 November 2022, since when 4,000 Ukrainian military and civilian personnel have taken part in 93 courses given by the Army (79), the Marines (11), the Air and Space Army (2) and the Guardia Civil (1). In total, some 40,000 Ukrainians have already received training in EU countries.

Non official translation