Ukrainian forces allegedly underperformed during their NATO training according to a leaked document
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has resulted in hundreds of new recruits to the Ukrainian Army, many of whom are currently undergoing training in England, almost a thousand miles away from their intended battlefield.
The British government has promised to train 10,000 Ukrainian soldiers in 120 days – teaching the troops shooting, battlefield first aid, and urban warfare. The training mission, which is taking place at four locations around the UK, involves over a thousand British servicemen.
However, according to a document leaked on twitter the performance of Ukrainian personnel seems to be underwhelming.
The leaked US army document states that “100%” of the personnel lack combat experience whereas it was guaranteed that the troops sent for training would at least have “basic military skills”.
The document further notes that Ukrainian troops had a difficult time adjusting to the US-type and UK-type assault rifles which is why the local command had to order soviet-era small-arms for effective training – thereby increasing the UK military budget for this year.
Furthermore, it acknowledges that the medical training competency of the Ukrainian troops was “high-level”. The purpose of the document was to inform the army of necessary adjustments to the training procedure to better accommodate the new troops.
Earlier this summer, however, Maj. Craig Hutton, a Scots Guards officer helping to oversee the training shared a different perspective:
“We are running a basic infantry course, which takes Ukrainian recruits and teaches them to shoot well, to move and communicate well within any tactical environment, and to medicate well.”
Major Craig Hutton, AP News
Hutton adds that many Ukrainian soldiers lack combat training, yet:
“…they are so motivated. They have a fantastic will to learn, and they just want to practice, practice and practice more.”
This stands in stark contrast to claims in the leaked document expecting formerly-trained personnel undergoing specialized NATO training. The minimal military and combat experience of new recruits is not a secret. The British forces have acknowledged this previously and designed the course to match the incoming raw recruits.
The leak has not yet independently verified this document and has reached out to the twitter user who has leaked the document online for comments pertaining to its source and veracity.
It is interesting to note that the document fails to identify the specified department which is responsible for assisting with these training courses. Furthermore, it notes no correspondence to the local command in the UK responsible for overseeing the training either. The contents are relatively vague when compared to other examples of developmental counseling forms of the US army.
