North Macedonia is the second Balkan country after Romania to successfully complete the training program for the first group of Ukrainian soldiers. Information about this exercise has been kept secret for security reasons, reports Ukrainian Pravda, quoted by Rador Radio Romania.

According to Macedonian Defense Minister Slavyanka Petrovska, the training took place “at bases belonging to the army of the Republic of North Macedonia, in accordance with the government’s decision.”

The minister added that North Macedonia, which became a member of NATO in 2020, will continue the training of the Ukrainian military in 2024 and “as much as necessary.”

Petrovska did not specify what kind of training the soldiers underwent, as well as how many soldiers have undergone or will undergo training.

Thanks to this exercise, North Macedonia became the second Balkan country after Romania to offer military bases on its territory for the training of the Ukrainian military.

Romania has offered Ukraine the use of its bases to house foreign instructors who will train the Ukrainian military at the start of a full-scale Russian invasion. In November, it opened a training center for Ukrainian pilots who will learn to fly F-16 fighter jets from the West.

In August, Greece also offered its help in training Ukrainian military F-16s, but not on its territory. Slovenia joined the training program in 2022, but sent its instructors to a training base in Germany.

Croatia considered the possibility of opening its bases for the training of the Ground Forces of Ukraine, but the move was blocked by the Croatian president.

Since the start of the war, North Macedonia has sent 10 shipments of military aid to Ukraine and is considered one of the largest suppliers of equipment among Ukraine’s allies, given its size and population of less than 2 million.

As a small country currently replenishing its stockpiles with Western equipment, North Macedonia sent about 30 Soviet T-72 tanks, 12 Soviet Mi-24 attack helicopters and four Su-25 attack aircraft. All this, ironically, was bought in Ukraine in 2001.

North Macedonia also joined the statement of the G7+ leaders regarding security obligations for Ukraine.