NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine

NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine Assistance et formation de l'OTAN en matière de sécurité pour l'Ukraine (AFOMSU, French)
«Безпекове навчання та сприяння НАТО Україні» (Командування, Ukrainian)
Founded	July 11, 2024 (2024-07-11) (inaugurated) [1] 18 December 2024;7 months ago (18 December 2024)(activated) [2]
Allegiance	NATO
Type	Combined, joint operational command
Role	Provisioning  of military equipment and training to  AFU  by NATO member and partner countries
Size	~ 350 personnel (from 31 countries) [a]
Part of	Allied Command Operations
Headquarters	Clay Kaserne,  Wiesbaden-Erbenheim, Wiesbaden, Hesse, Germany
Nickname(s)	Ukrainian mission
Website	Official website
Commanders
Commander 3-star rank	(first holder)  LTG   Curtis A. Buzzard   United States Army [b]
Deputy Commander	Major General  Maik Keller   German Army [c]
ACOM, Force Development Support	(first holder)  Brigadier  Bell   British Army [5]
Enlisted Advisor	(first holder)  Srg.Major  Mark Morgan   United States Marine Corps [d]
Footnotes As of July 2025 [update] HQ-based only. Seven hundred, if accounted for assisting personnel in SHAPE, Casteau, Belgium, and NSATU's 2 logistics hubs: one in Rzeszów, Poland, and another under development in Câmpia Turzii, Romania. Australia and New Zealand, working closely with representatives of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, in addition to 28 NATO countries. [2] [3] Concurrently COM SAG-U (from June 2024). [4] Since May 2025. [2] Since December 2024. [6]

The NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine (abbr. NSATU), also known as the Ukraine mission ^[7] is a NATO command inaugurated by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the NATO summit in Washington in July 2024 with the stated task "to plan, coordinate, and arrange delivery of security assistance that Ukraine needs to prevail in its fight today, and in the future." ^[8] NATO stated that the command was to "build upon and complement organizations already in place." ^[9] The command is headquartered at Clay Kaserne, the U.S. military base in Wiesbaden-Erbenheim ^[7]

Strength and goals

Ukrainian mission [4]
Part of foreign military involvement (ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine)
Operational scope	Training coordination Equipment coordination&logistics Force generation
Locations	Clay Kaserne HQ - DE 50°02′58″N08°19′28″E / 50.04944°N 8.32444°E / 50.04944; 8.32444 Rzeszow Logistics Enabling Node - PL [2] 50°06′36″N022°01′08″E / 50.11000°N 22.01889°E / 50.11000; 22.01889 Câmpia Turzii  LEN -  RO [3] 46°30′12″N023°53′07″E / 46.50333°N 23.88528°E / 46.50333; 23.88528
Planned	on and up to 24-month horizon
Planned by	NAC with DPPC  [ uk ]
Commanded by	LTG   Curtis A. Buzzard (with SACEUR, [10] DSACEUR Admiral Keith Blount) [2]
Objective	Enduring, predictable, coherent Allied support for AFU
Date	18 December 2024 (2024-12-18)–present (CET   UTC+01:00 /CEST   UTC+02:00 )
Executed by	COM NSATU/SAG-U (dual hatted), with UDCG deliverables [11]
Outcome	Ongoing

According to the information released by NATO 11 July 2024, NSATU was to have around 700 personnel to be headquartered in Wiesbaden, Germany. ^[8] According to the NATO statement, NSATU would have "three main focus areas: oversee training of Ukrainian armed forces at training facilities in Allied countries; provide support to the long-term development of Ukraine’s Armed Forces; support Ukraine through planning, coordination of donations with Allies and partners, transfer of security assistance material, and repair of equipment." ^[8] The statement clarified, "These efforts do not make NATO a party to the conflict, but enhance support to Ukraine’s self defence." ^[8]

Reactions

In early October 2024, President of Croatia Zoran Milanović stated, "The vast majority of citizens of Croatia oppose any and every form of active involvement of Croatia in the conflict in Ukraine and that he believes the planning and operational help provided by NSATU goes too far. ^{[12] [13]}

During a 14 October 2024 visit to NSATU Germany's Federal Minister of Defence Boris Pistorius appealed to other allies to contribute more personnel to NSATU. ^[14]

See also

• Security Assistance Group Ukraine
• Ukraine Defense Contact Group
• Coalition of the willing (Russo-Ukrainian War)

References

1. "NSATU Assumes Responsibilities to Support Ukraine". SHAPE.nato.int. 18 December 2024. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
2. Siebold, Sabine (2 July 2025). "Military aid increasingly focuses on boosting Ukraine's defence industry". Reuters. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
3. Soare, Andreea (3 October 2024). "S-a aprobat participarea Armatei Române la misiunea de asistență de securitate și instruire NATO-NSATU și înființarea unui centru de instruire maritimă pentru militarii ucraineni, în România". mediafax.ro (in Romanian).
4. "About NSATU" (PDF). shape.nato.int. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
5. "SACEUR on Support for Ukraine: We Are Moving as Quickly as We Can". NSATU HQ Public Affairs Office. 28 July 2025. Retrieved 5 August 2025– via shape.nato.int.
6. "Leadership". shape.nato.int/nsatu. Retrieved 16 July 2025.
7. "NATO will not be intimidated by Russia's threats, Rutte says at Ukraine mission HQ". Reuters . 2024-10-14.
8. "NATO Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine". Allied Command Operations. 2024-07-11.
9. "New NATO Secretary General visits SHAPE and NSATU". Allied Command Operations. 2024-10-14.
10. "Transfer of Patriot units to Kyiv being prepared, says NATO's top commander". Reuters.com. 17 July 2025. Retrieved 17 July 2025– via Reuters. «Preparations are underway, we are working very closely with the Germans on the Patriot transfer», Alexus Grynkewich told a conference in the German city of Wiesbaden. «The guidance that I have been given has been to move out as quickly as possible.»
11. Slattery, Gram; Stone, Mike; Landay, Jonathan; Holland, Steve (17 July 2025). "Trump promised Patriots for Ukraine. Now Europe has to provide them". Reuters. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
12. "President Milanović: Through the NSATU mission, NATO is entering operational planning of the war in Ukraine". predsjednik.hr. 2024-10-08.
13. Hrvatska, N1 (2024-10-08). "VIDEO / Milanović: Tko skriva da su vojnici fizički u Ukrajini, obmanjuje javnost". N1 (in Croatian). Retrieved 2024-10-08.
14. Finke, Lara (2024-10-14). "Koordinierte Unterstützung für die Ukraine: Pistorius bei NSATU in Wiesbaden" [Coordinated support for Ukraine: Pistorius at NSATU in Wiesbaden]. bmvg.de (in German). Retrieved 2025-07-17.