2023-07-11 03:08:25
In an urban setting made of brick buildings with broken windows, French instructors evolve in small groups, covered by snipers on the roofs. In front of them, about twenty Ukrainian soldiers observe the maneuver. Coming to Poland to be trained, they will soon go into battle.
Some 200 French soldiers, including 120 trainers, have been deployed since February on this Polish camp, the location of which must remain secret for security reasons. “With our Polish comrades we have the responsibility of training Ukrainian infantry battalions over a period of 4 to 5 weeks”, that is to say about 500 men per month, explains Colonel Benoit.
“The deadlines are very tight to take into account the Ukrainian army’s need to quickly have units in combat, but we arrive at completely correct results”, comments the officer. In a few months, France has already trained 1,600 Ukrainian soldiers in Poland as part of the European Union Assistance Mission to Ukraine (EUMAM), in addition to the 3,600 trained on its own territory since 2022.
All facets of combined arms combat are covered here: infantry combat, lighting, assault, artillery support, demining, combat in urban areas… Areas in which the French army has accumulated solid experience, from Afghanistan to the Sahel. The French also came with about thirty forward armored vehicles (VAB), intended to be transferred to kyiv. In the meantime, they are used to train the Ukrainian crews who will use them tomorrow on the battlefield.
“He is your tourniquet”
Combat first aid is also part of the modules, as Ukraine suffers heavy casualties in the fighting against the Russians. “Your tourniquet is fine,” commented a French instructor watching a Ukrainian man provide emergency care to a falsely injured comrade, his thigh stained with blood. An interpreter translates the conversation.
Further on, powerful explosions ring out as a small group of soldiers storms a gutted building. Everywhere, dozens of casings are strewn on the cobblestones. Yellow and blue patch on the arm, the Ukrainian soldiers are concentrated and not very talkative. The troop includes soldiers in the prime of life, with sure gestures, others are much younger and have not yet experienced fire.
“I came here to improve the performance of my soldiers who already have experience, and to train those who have not experienced combat, which is the case for the majority of them. It is very important because they will have to go and fight,” testifies a Ukrainian officer in camouflage uniform, his eyes hidden by ballistic sunglasses, who agrees to answer on condition of strict anonymity.
“Some have experience but don’t dwell on it,” says French captain Joseph. “In general, we talk a lot about techniques. But they tell us very little about the before and the after”. Once the day is over, French and Ukrainians return to their respective quarters and do not mix.
Do not create “too personal” links
“I told the guys who left to train the Ukrainians: be careful, don’t create too personal ties,” says a French officer. “Some Baltic friends had created extremely close relations with the Ukrainians” but a large proportion of these soldiers, subsequently deployed in the Bakhmout region, “were no longer responding to WhatsApp and exchanges. This generated post-traumatic syndromes” among the trainers.
On a military level, “this mission is very interesting for our instructors”, underlines to AFP the Chief of Staff of the Army, General Pierre Schill. “It is rewarding for them to train Ukrainians, who in turn teach us things. As trust develops, exchanges can take place on the use of drones or the tactics they have observed” among the Russians, he explains.
VIDEO. Ukrainian soldiers in training in the south of France on the armored vehicles promised by Macron
This training is one of the components of French support in kyiv: sale of equipment, maintenance and spare parts, and financial support. In total, French aid amounts to 1.46 billion euros, placing Paris 11th among nations supporting Ukraine, according to the Kiel Institute of World Economy (IfW).
“We will continue to help you. We are going to the NATO summit in Vilnius (Tuesday and Wednesday, editor’s note) and ensure the solidarity of the allies over time, “promised in Poland the French Minister for the Armed Forces Sébastien Lecornu in front of the Ukrainian troops, who are fighting “also for us, for the respect of international law and our values”.
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