Today at 00:42
Foreign instructors prepare recruits of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the realities of the front. At the training ground, they work out tactics of defense and assault on enemy positions. All this is necessary for further offensive actions to de-occupy Ukraine. Anastasia Volkova, correspondent of the FREEDOM TV channel, saw how the newly arrived fighters are taught.
So, at the training ground in the Donetsk region, newly arrived fighters work out their skills in shooting from machine guns, and also throw F-1 grenades. They are taught by two instructors – from Sweden and the USA.
A Ukrainian serviceman Oleksandr threw a grenade for the second time in his life. He says it’s a little scary, even his hands were shaking, but from the experience of his brothers he knows that this will soon pass. The man joined the army on the agenda 4 months ago, he had not served before. Now he will celebrate his 48th birthday at the front, defending Ukraine.
“We studied for more than a month, and then we came here. We were on the front lines for 2 weeks, and then back to the exercises, we had to finish our studies. It was terrible right away. But it becomes a habit, ”said the fighter.
A Ukrainian serviceman Roman has been serving for a month and a half. The man also came on mobilization. The rookie works out the store equipment standard – 30 seconds, trying to do it faster.
Vladimir has been a driver in the ranks of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for about a year. Now, together with the mobilized, he went to the exercises in order to gain new skills. Prior to that, he threw a grenade at a training ground in the Lviv region.
Instructors from abroad transfer experience to recruits. Magnus is a Swede and has been an instructor for over 12 years. When a full-scale invasion of the territory of Ukraine began, the man thought about how he could help, and he had two choices.
“I turned to the embassy, said that I wanted to help as an instructor, they sent me to the legion, there is a foreign legion here. And I, like in a Harry Potter sorting hat, were offered two choices: either go fight or train. I felt that as an instructor I would be of great benefit. And here I am,” said an instructor from Sweden.
At the training ground, Magnus is accompanied by a four-legged friend – a puppy named Soledar. The man picked it up when he was evacuating last December. In the burning city, I couldn’t get past the dying animal.
“While moving along one of the roads after the shootings, we saw him on the road in such a very bad condition. He lay on the road, whining. So we stopped and took him with us. He is about 9-10 months old. I don’t know what to do next with it. Now I have it, and then, as I say, 5 hryvnias and it will be yours,” the instructor said.
American Stan demonstrates to recruits how to work on a German machine gun MG-42. He has 16 years of combat experience in the US Marine Corps. He took part in military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. Has been in Ukraine for about a year now.
“I don’t like comparing different types of combat because it’s like comparing an apple and an orange. A lesson must be learned from every war, because here, for example, artillery is often used, before that I had no such experience. The experience of foreigners who came to help is very important, because this is something that Russians do not have. Military school is completely different. In the future, the whole world will look at Ukrainian soldiers, because even now Ukrainian soldiers are the ones who have the most military experience in the whole world,” said an instructor from the United States.
During two hours of work at the training ground, the mobilized fighters of the Armed Forces of Ukraine worked out the skills of tactical assault and defense.
