Ukraine confirms ongoing NATO-standard military training program in Norway since 2023

What happened

Ukraine's General Staff announced Operation GUNGNE, a training initiative that has been operating since 2023 in Norway. The program involves Ukrainian military personnel, many of whom are combat veterans, undergoing instruction on Norwegian ranges. Training is conducted by Norwegian professional military cadre, reserves, and territorial defense personnel using NATO-standard methodologies. The operation forms part of Norway's broader ELLESSIV defense initiative supporting Ukraine.

Context and assessment

Norway has emerged as a significant contributor to Ukrainian military capacity building since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. The ELLESSIV program represents a coordinated approach encompassing multiple forms of military assistance. Operation GUNGNE specifically addresses skills enhancement for experienced Ukrainian personnel through practical training on NATO ranges—a capability unavailable within Ukraine due to ongoing combat operations. This reflects the pattern of NATO members leveraging their domestic military infrastructure to build Ukrainian force readiness. Such training programs typically focus on combined arms tactics, advanced weapons employment, and interoperability standards, which may indicate efforts to develop Ukrainian units capable of coordinated operations alongside NATO forces or employing supplied Western equipment more effectively.

Sources and confidence

Single source from Telegram General Staff ZSU channel dated September 2026. The announcement provides operational details and explicitly names the program and parent initiative ELLESSIV. No cross-confirmation from Norwegian defense sources is noted in available data. Confidence score of 8.0 reflects official Ukrainian military channel publication of established program but absence of corroborating external confirmation.

Location

Norway (region-level precision). Training conducted on Norwegian military ranges across the country under direction of Norwegian armed forces. Specific range locations not identified in source material.

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