In Spain, Ukrainian civilians prepare for battle at a training centre near Madrid

As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, the Ukrainian army is seeking 500,000 more soldiers to make up for losses on the battlefield and relieve exhausted troops. But this request faces political opposition in Kyiv: a controversial mobilisation bill has been blocked in parliament for several weeks.

However, Ukrainian civilians continue to volunteer to serve their country. Most have no military experience. To train them, Kyiv can count on the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM), a training programme set up by the bloc in October 2022. Some 35,000 soldiers have already been trained in one of the 24 countries participating in the mission.

 The Toledo military academy welcomes a contingent of 200 future Ukrainian soldiers every five weeks. These men and women come from all walks of life: some are farmers, others factory workers, others executives. Although sometimes disoriented by their new environment, they are keen to learn techniques that will enable them to survive on the front line.