General Steve Thull, the head of the Luxembourgish army, described 2022 as “a year that will go down in the annals of the Luxembourgish military.” The soldiers worked in five Covid-19 centres from mid-January to late-February, when the CovidCheck was mandatory at work.
When Russia invaded Ukraine on 28 February, the contingent in Lithuania was reinforced and the drone squad, which was meant to be deployed in early 2023, was made operational as soon as possible.
Minister of Defence François Bausch stressed that Luxembourg will support Ukraine “for as long as necessary,” since the invasion of another country by military force is a violation of international law.
According to Bausch, Luxembourg has provided Ukraine with €75 million in materials to date, a “first in the history of Luxembourg, which has never directly supplied military equipment to another country.” The military aid corresponds to 16% of the Grand Duchy’s entire defence budget.
The Minister went on to say that in order for the military to continue to fulfil its primary missions, namely the defence of the country and people and the support of NATO allies, Luxembourg must continue to invest in a more modern army.
Aside from the more serious subjects addressed in the speeches, the military also awarded prizes for a range of competitions, including swimming and cross-country running.
Athletes Sarah de Nutte, Matthieu Osh, and Victoria Rausch also received awards for their athletic achievements.
