Move around the tranches, displace your opponent and retreat safely if necessary. This is what Ukrainian soldiers learned from instructors from France as part of the EUMAM mission. “Polish Armed Forces” reporters had a chance to observe specified training at 1 of the training courses in our country.
Polygon in western Poland. On the left the forest, on the right the forest, in the mediate a fewer 100 meters long tranche. Above it there is simply a drone that transmits the image to the instructor's station. On the monitor next to it, I see a maze of excavations with shelters. So far, there's no movement. But that will shortly change. After a minute, armed soldiers come out from behind the trees on the left. They vanish rapidly in the tranche, and we approach closely to look at their actions. That's how 1 part starts EUMAM training.
Smell the wind
A fewer months after the outbreak of full-scale war, the European Union launched a training mission for Ukrainian soldiers. 2 Commands are liable for its implementation. The first is in Germany, second – in Poland. It is called CAT-C, and at the minute it is headed by General Dyw Piotr Fajkowski, Commander of the 11th Lublin Armored Cavalry Division. Trainers from 14 countries, including French, are active in CAT-C. And it was their work that we had a chance to look at.
“We have 250 soldiers here who change all fewer weeks,” explains the officer, the commander of the French contingent (because of the specifics of the mission we cannot give his name). Their camp grew here almost 3 years ago, almost from scratch. present it resembles a well-functioning town – with solid quarters for soldiers, a shelter of briefings, a canteen. On a paved path, we go consecutive to the VAB armored transporters standing on the sidelines. We choice up helmets and pack up inside 1 of the vehicles. Half an hr later, we're on the ground. There are soldiers on the sandy hill in equal order. Blue-yellow flags on the shoulders. Ukrainians... A sniper firearm and a pile of bullets in front of everyone. Next to French instructors, they look at specialized instruments, correct coordinates, check wind power. They're a small bit like spotters who usually accompany snipers. Over the hill there's another blast. There's praise, sometimes a gunman curses under his nose. You know, emotions, and hitting a shield is not easy. From time to time, the French give comments to translators who translate them into Ukrainian.
– Today, we're firing at targets a 1000 yards away. And the biggest enemy as usual in specified cases is the wind: an assessment of its strength and direction – explains the Petty Officer, the commander of French instructors, who train sharpshooters in the EUMAM mission. He admits that Ukrainian gunmen coming to Poland already had experience in their trade. But now we combine them with our knowledge. First of all, we supply them with certain method details that may increase their effectiveness – the teacher points out.
The course lasts 5 weeks. We came to the end of it. How are the Ukrainians doing? “They have made large progress,” the French emphasize. Our team's putting on their helmets again, hop in the transporter and decision on.
Avoid “friendly fire”
Another halt – around the forest open space, and in the mediate of a tranche. Two, to be exact. The another one, located further distant from us, has a comparatively simple distribution. This closer 1 is simply a actual tangle of passages and corridors – a bit like a dead trench of the Russian-Ukrainian front. According to Major Artur Pinkowski, the press spokesperson for CAT-C, the tranches appeared here comparatively recently. – We always adapt the training program to the needs of Ukrainian soldiers. And they reported it a while ago. They wanted to practice fighting in trenches," the officer explains. Today, a platoon of 3 teams exercises this element. First, the Ukrainians will gotta push the enemy out of the trenches.
We didn't gotta wait long. Ukrainian soldiers fall out of the forest on our left and vanish in the tranche. A minute later, I see them from above as I walk along the trenches with my instructors. The Ukrainians sneak in leaning close the walls, halt for a while in tiny shelters, insure 1 another. A grey flag appears above the trenches. I'm asking 1 of the French about her. – Attackers will not always be able to usage the drone in specified a situation. The flag is simply a signal that the corridor is clear. In another words, there is no opponent. This way allows to minimize the hazard of "friendly fire", i.e. the mistaken shooting of his soldiers – 1 of the instructors explains. In tight corners of the halls, erstwhile everything happens at a staggering pace, it is easy to make a terrible decision. “This kind of fight requires advanced physical and intellectual endurance. You gotta make habits, any automation. And that's what we learn here," stressed Stepan, the commander of 1 of the Ukrainian teams.
Meanwhile, Ukrainians scope the end of the tranche. Now they have time to catch their breath. Not besides long, though. After a fewer minutes at the entrance to the tranche, smoke grenades land and another group of soldiers rush out of the forest. This time they are French who have become opponents for training. The counterattack is starting. The Ukrainians are retreating, but there is no panic in the actions of their subdivisions. They act methodically and planfully. 2 teams leave the tranche, 3 cover them from behind the trees on the left. Then the fight moves into the forest. The Frenchman I have the chance to talk to is nodding his head. – The first days of training were hard for Ukrainians, but now it looks truly good – he says. And Stepan admits: – The training is maintained at a truly advanced level. I'm more than happy for him that we're making progress. The French praise us. shortly we will be able to return to Ukraine and pass this cognition on to our colleagues – he concludes.
From infantry to tankers
The French contingent commander shall admit that the EUMAM mission profile has changed over the years. We started by training full troops. Now we are more focused on preparing squad leaders, platoons, specialists. We conduct classes dedicated to fighting in built-up areas, in forest areas, training snipers or experts from reconnaissance – he mentions. But 1 thing remained unchanged. “Both Ukrainians who are recently incarnate in the army and soldiers with combat experience come to us, but what strikes me all time is their large motivation and commitment,” the officer adds.
By training Ukrainians, the French besides cooperate with instructors from another armies, including Poles. “We have been in this mission since the very beginning of November 2022,” says 1 of the Polish CAT-C instructors. During this time, he and colleagues gave Ukrainians quite a few expertise. But as he says, this mechanics works both ways. “We learned a lot about the specifics of the modern battlefield from soldiers who have served at the front. This includes fighting in trenches, utilizing drones, or utilizing artillery. We besides usage these experiences during training our soldiers – the Polish officer admits.
To date, instructors under CAT-C have trained 19,000 soldiers. It's thirteen full battalions. In addition, there are respective brigades and specialists: specified as Leopard 2A4 tank crews or KTO Rosomak – summarizes Major Pinkowski.
