The Ukrainian military at the forefront of the counter-offensive against the mighty Russian army is fighting like true North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) soldiers.
A good number of them, many with no previous military experience, were trained in secret bases in England, following the combat doctrines of the western military alliance.
Others, professional soldiers and officers, received advanced training from countries such as the United Kingdom, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands to accurately operate the sophisticated tanks, armored vehicles, long-range missiles and anti-aircraft batteries sent to Ukraine.
So far, the Ukrainians have already received Abrams, Challenger 2 and Leopards 2 tanks, respectively from the United States, United Kingdom and Germany. Also sent were dozens of armored fighting vehicles, such as the Stryker and Bradley – both used extensively by the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Recently, the UK sent several units of Storm Shadow, the first long-range missiles operated by Ukraine’s army. Capable of hitting targets over 250 kilometers away, they can reach the rear of the Russian armed forces within their own territory.
To prevent control of the conflict’s airspace, the western alliance also sent anti-aircraft batteries, such as the sophisticated Patriot and Nasam systems, in addition to Starstreak. It is these systems that bring down many of the drones and missiles launched by Moscow against civilian targets in Ukrainian cities.
Finally, the Ukrainians hope to receive F-16 planes, manufactured by the United States. After much insistence from President Volodymyr Zelensky, the Americans decided in May to allow Allied air forces to send these sophisticated aircraft to forces in Kiev.
But all this equipment needs NATO training. The Netherlands and the United Kingdom, for example, plan to start training Ukrainian pilots in F-16s during the summer.
The joint use of cutting-edge weapons with the most advanced military tactics is aimed at transforming the Ukrainian armed forces into modern and powerful units, fighting in a way very similar to that of the member countries of NATO.
A CNN followed training in England and spoke with Western Alliance officials to understand the importance of this process and their personal participation in the Ukrainian war effort.
“This is the best and most important way for NATO to impact the war going on in Ukraine. And it is an absolute privilege to be able to say that I am part of the process that is giving Ukrainians a chance to defend their homeland,” said a British official.
A Norwegian military man, with combat experience in Afghanistan and Iraq, believes that training for Ukrainians can help a lot for a possible Ukrainian victory – especially since NATO exercises reproduce the reality of battles.
“I think all military training will be important for Ukrainians. In the trenches and in urban warfare, where most of the fighting is likely to take place,” he said.
The Ukrainian side, of course, also celebrates proximity to Western allies.
In an exclusive interview with CNN Andriy Yermak, chief of staff and right-hand man to President Volodymyr Zelensky, thanked the Western alliance for the support and training that his country’s military is receiving.
“We appreciate any support. Any support is important to us. Especially when we face the aggression of a nuclear country against Ukraine, which refused nuclear weapons and had its security, territorial integrity and sovereignty guaranteed by Russia, China, United States, Great Britain and France (the member countries of the UN Security Council ). And that’s why the support of our partners is very important”, said Yermak.
Source: CNN Brasil
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