The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
In 2025, 80 military surgeons and 50 operating room nurses of the Armed Forces of Ukraine successfully completed training under the ASSET program (Advanced Surgical Skills for Exposure in Trauma).
The Ministry of Defense of Ukraine reported this on January 13.
The training took place in Warsaw with the support of Aspen Medical in partnership with the American College of Surgeons (ACS).
“The ASSET course is recognized as the ‘gold standard’ of surgical training in NATO countries and is a mandatory stage of training for U.S. Army military doctors before deployment to mobile hospitals or forward surgical teams0, —” the statement said.
The training program is based on the standardized ACS methodology and focuses on hands-on skills. The main goal of the course is to improve surgical techniques for saving lives in combat trauma conditions.
“ASSET is intensive practical training aimed at mastering critically important surgical approaches to anatomical structures in cases where injuries pose a threat to life or limbs. The curriculum includes mastering 26 types of surgical procedures for critical injuries”, — the Ministry of Defense reported.
Training of Ukrainian specialists was conducted in the format of 10 training groups. The sessions made it possible to systematically raise the competence level of Ukrainian surgical teams, bringing them closer to modern approaches to emergency care for severe injuries used in partner countries.
The Ministry of Defense noted that cooperation with international partners made it possible to include the ASSET course in assistance programs for the Armed Forces of Ukraine by the U.S. Department of Defense. Instruction is provided exclusively by certified specialists of the American College of Surgeons.
“Training military medics according to international standards remains a priority for preserving the life and health of Ukrainian defenders”, — the Ministry emphasized.
The Ministry also added that ASSET training for Ukrainian medics has been conducted on a regular basis since December 2023. Over the entire period of the project, 17 training intakes were conducted for representatives of the Security and Defense Forces. In total, 220 medical specialists successfully completed the course: 135 surgeons and 85 operating room nurses.
