Italy is preparing to send additional troops to Kosovo. Currently, there are 850 Italian soldiers as part of KFOR in Kosovo, and this figure is expected to increase to 1,550. This is the result of discussions by Italian General Francesco Figliuolo before the Italian Parliament.
 |
| Italian soldier of KFOR in the north of Kosovo |
The latter heads the Joint Command of Operations Responsible for all of Italy's missions abroad. The senior general emphasized that the additional group of Italian troops has been on early readiness for some time, since last summer, and they would be used to manage violent demonstrations by the Serbian minority in northern Kosovo.
Italian military officials and parliamentary senators highlight that conflict may erupt in Bosnia, where Italy currently has a presence of 180 soldiers. General Figliuolo announced that "the engagement of Italy's anti-aircraft and anti-missile defense system has officially concluded in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. It is one of five existing batteries, one of which is currently deployed in Kuwait. Italy's engagement comes as part of the deployment of around three thousand troops, eleven hundred ground vehicles, twenty aircraft, one ship, to strengthen NATO's eastern flank, which is in the most sensitive front line with Russia.
For the first time, the general provided information on the training of the Ukrainian army conducted by Italian instructors developed in Italy, in Belgian, German, Belgian, and Polish bases. According to the Italian general, around 1,420 Kiev soldiers have been trained in Italy.