The brigade will be manned with 4,500 soldiers from the three member states; its structure will follow the combat groups in other European armies, will be established and become operational within a year. Headquartered in Lublin, Poland the brigade will command three infantry battalions – one from each country- to be based in each of the member countries, along with support elements. The brigade is expected to conduct its first exercise this year.
An agreement on its creation was signed on November 16, 2009. but its implementation was repeatedly delayed from 2011. The unit was finally formed on September 19, 2014 and is expected to become operational in 2016.
The Brigade will be tasked with peacekeeping and stabilization operations, as directed by the European Union and United Nations. The international brigade will increase Kiev’s cooperation with Eastern European countries. The new formation will help infuse western standards and methodologies into the Ukrainian military, paving the way to closer integration of NATO standards. (Excerpts from article published in Polish by Defence 24)
