In response to the ongoing conflict with Russia, the European Union’s military training mission has prepared around 18,000 Ukrainian soldiers in Germany to operate advanced military technology, including precision air defense systems and high-spec tanks. Beyond this, the EU is enhancing training by adding historically older, Soviet-era equipment such as museum tanks, to simulate battlefield conditions that resemble those Ukrainian forces are encountering. These tanks, typically sourced from museums, help trainees safely practice techniques for approaching abandoned or booby-trapped equipment—a tactic Russian forces are known to employ.
Lieutenant General Andreas Marlow, head of the EU’s Special Training Command near Berlin, explained that Ukrainian soldiers are learning how to identify and avoid explosives hidden in captured or abandoned equipment, as well as navigating trench systems that reflect Russian trench designs. Such adaptations are intended to prepare Ukrainian forces for the realities of trench-based combat and heavy shelling, echoing aspects of World War I-style warfare.
In addition to historical battlefield tactics, the training program in Germany incorporates high-tech methods. Modern simulators are being used for combat shooting, and advanced training dummies simulate complex medical scenarios for battlefield medics. The program also covers drone warfare, a growing component of modern military strategy. Ukrainian forces are being trained in surveillance techniques and defensive maneuvers against hostile drones, which Russia and Ukraine are increasingly deploying on the battlefield.
Initiated in 2022, the EU military training mission has recently been extended for another two years, ensuring ongoing support for Ukraine as the nation faces continued Russian advances. Through this training, Ukrainian soldiers are gaining comprehensive preparation for both high-tech combat and the grueling, close-quarters conditions of trench warfare.
