Denmark, a NATO member, plans to send unarmed soldiers to Ukraine for training, Danish Army Chief of Staff Peter Boesen told TV Ve 2 today, quoted by DPA.
He said the Danish soldiers would be trained by the Ukrainian military, especially from their experience in drone warfare.
Boesen told TV Ve 2 that the Danish soldiers would remain away from the front lines and would likely be stationed at training centers in western Ukraine. The exercise could begin as early as the summer, he added.
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lun Poulsen declined to comment on the plans, saying the matter was a matter for the military, the Ritsau news agency reported.
The plans for the exercise have sparked discontent at the Russian embassy in Copenhagen. In a written statement to TvE 2 television, Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin said that training Danish soldiers in Ukraine would "draw Denmark deeper into the conflict" and "cause further uncontrolled escalation".
Barbin also said that the decision "endangers the lives of Danish soldiers" because all military facilities in Ukraine, including training and education centers in the west of the country, are "legitimate targets" for the Russian army.
Denmark, a founding member of NATO, has been one of Ukraine's strongest supporters since the war began more than three years ago.