U.S. Army engineers train Ukrainian military officers on large-scale construction management

The process of managing large and complex construction projects is not a task to take lightly. Doing it well requires proper tools and training.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Europe District wrapped up its third project management workshop for Ukrainian military officers from Ukraine’s State Special Transport Service on June 5 in Germany.

These workshops set out to build the Ukrainian capability to manage and deliver a larger number of projects and incorporate contracted design and construction firms to support their eventual reconstruction. Subjects within the workshops included project management basics, incorporating engineering design, providing construction oversight and discussing contracting considerations.

"Europe District was proud to host senior leaders from the State Special Transport Service for a strategic training workshop focused on program delivery processes and developing objectives for future training partnerships,” Europe District Chief of Plans Matthew Mollet said.

This workshop series is merely one example of collaborative efforts resulting from a Memorandum of Cooperation signed by the USACE North Atlantic Division and Ukraine’s SSTS during the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 in Rome, Italy. The goal of this partnership is to support Ukraine’s recovery and resilience.

USACE has decades of expertise in engineering and project management, but SSTS comes to the table with plenty of experience of their own, particularly in areas like drone deterrence and protective infrastructure, making the collaboration beneficial to both parties.

“The engineers and finance experts from the SSTS actively engaged each course with a strong desire to learn and adapt the material for their use. Their determination and resilience combined with a strong spirit of finding the best way to get things done shines through each interaction,” Lt. Col. Chris Herold, Europe District’s Deputy Commander for support to Ukraine, said. “We look forward to helping SSTS transition from a capable execution agency to a project management agency ready to rebuild Ukraine.”

This initiative to support Ukraine involves many partners, including U.S. Army Europe and Africa, Security Assistance Group – Ukraine, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Society of American Military Engineers, and other organizations.

The Memorandum of Cooperation marks the beginning of a ten-year partnership focusing on an exchange of information across a broad range of activities, giving Ukraine the institutional knowledge and robust engineering workforce to plan, design, and maintain its own critical infrastructure independently. Ten years from now, this partnership will have contributed to a secure, stable, and resilient Ukraine, capable of ensuring its own prosperous and peaceful future.