The UK, Norway, Germany, and France, along with other European Union countries, have been providing military training to Ukrainian soldiers and officers since the onset of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine three years ago. One soldier, using the combat name Mara, shared his experiences after completing two months of basic training in France in 2023. Mara, who is part of the 114th Brigade of Ukraine’s Territorial Defense, found some aspects of the training less relevant to the realities of their conflict, particularly in areas such as drones and tactical medicine. While he dismissed training exercises like setting up tents as unnecessary, indicating they did not align with actual combat conditions in Ukraine, he appreciated the shooting drills and survival training. Mara also underwent exercises that simulated urban warfare, capturing the real-world conditions he was used to. The training in areas like captivity escape and sewer ambushes, which included disturbing conditions set by instructors, provided valuable psychological resilience when faced with such situations in real combat. Despite these benefits, Mara and others felt some training aspects were not tailored to the type of warfare they experience, suggesting that instructors sometimes lack understanding of specific challenges faced by Ukrainian forces.

Source: https://www.dw.com/en/eu-training-for-ukraine-forces-doesn-t-always-hit-the-mark/a-71749749?maca=en-rss-en-all-1573-rdf