Ukrainian Soldiers Train to Identify Russian Traps in Germany
A training facility near Berlin is teaching 18,000 Ukrainian soldiers how to spot deadly traps set by retreating Russian forces.
The head of the European Union’s military assistance mission said that Ukrainian soldiers are practicing with Soviet-era tank museum tanks. This helps them understand how Russian forces use these tactics.
The EU is training 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers by the end of the year. They combine modern Western equipment training with practical exercises using older Soviet gear that Ukrainian forces often find on battlefields.
Lieutenant General Andreas Marlow explained that Russian forces set explosive traps in abandoned equipment. The museum tanks are used to show soldiers where to check for explosives on the battlefield.
The program has already trained 18,000 Ukrainian servicemen. Instructors from 17 countries teach advanced Western training, countermeasures against Russian tactics, and how to use modern technology.
Marlow said they combine high-tech training with practical experience on equipment that soldiers will face in combat.
The military is also using museum tanks and trench systems of the Russian type for training.
The EU’s training initiative was established in 2022 as part of their assistance for Ukraine. It has been extended, following an agreement between Ukraine and the EU signed in June 2024.
In August, EU defense ministers decided not to move training operations to Ukraine, but instead kept them near the border.