EU military trains Ukrainians for harsh winter war
Mud, cold, material wear and tear: winter makes warfare more difficult. The troops' ability to move is restricted. In Poland, Ukrainian soldiers are being prepared for these adverse conditions. Many have no military experience whatsoever.
In western Poland, Ukrainian soldiers are nearing the end of their training by EU military personnel for the grueling war of position against the Russian invasion forces. On a snow-covered field in Wedrzyn, just 40 kilometers from the German border, they were last trained for combat in the trenches, just a few days before being sent to the front.
"Most of the participants have no military experience and they are taught how to perform some basic tactics," said a Ukrainian soldier. "We are taught how to use weapons in urban areas and in trenches." The training is being led by soldiers from Poland, France and Belgium from the Combined Arms Training Command (CAT-C). It is taking place as part of the EU's EUMAM program to provide military support to Ukraine. Parallel training for other Ukrainian soldiers is taking place at the Special Training Command (STC) in Strausberg near Berlin.
Several media outlets were invited to follow the exercises in Poland this week. "We will constantly adapt, as the situation on the battlefield changes on a daily basis," explained Dutch Lieutenant General Michiel van der Laan, Director General of the European Union Military Staff, on site. Recently, however, there has been little movement on the front despite ongoing heavy fighting. Following its invasion in February 2022, Russia occupies almost a fifth of Ukrainian territory in the east and south. Ukraine launched a counter-offensive in June but was unable to achieve a major breakthrough on the front, apart from a few successes in the south.
General Salushnyj warned against a trench war
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky recently contradicted the claim that the war had reached a stalemate and called for more military aid. However, Commander-in-Chief General Valery Salushnyj warned that the war threatened to become a grueling and rigid war of position in which Russia could build up new military strength. Combat operations could be made even more difficult by the onset of winter with its snow and bitter cold. "I would say that winter is the most challenging season in terms of war. It severely restricts our freedom of movement and maneuverability, while the enemy can see us clearly thanks to thermal imaging cameras and drones," said one Ukrainian soldier at the exercises.
Another said that the training in Poland would help them to make progress in the counter-offensive. "Fighting in the trenches is one of the most important elements in this war (...) I think that improving skills in this area will help our soldiers to be successful on the battlefield," he said.
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- Despite the warnings of a potential trench war by Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief General Valery Salushnyj, Ukrainian soldiers are still being trained in Poland by EU military personnel, preparing for the harsh winter conditions and combat in trenches, as part of the EU's EUMAM program to support Ukraine in the conflict with Russia.
- Amidst ongoing heavy fighting and little movement on the front, Poland serves as a crucial training ground for Ukrainian troops, with soldiers from Poland, France, and Belgium from the Combined Arms Training Command (CAT-C) leading the exercises.
- With the onset of winter approaching, the threat of trench warfare and reduced freedom of movement becomes increasingly apparent for the Ukrainian soldiers, making their training in Poland even more crucial in preparing for future attacks on Ukraine by Russia.
Source: www.ntv.de
