Foreign instructors train Ukrainian servicemen in east

Record ID: 1717625

  • Title: Foreign instructors train Ukrainian servicemen in east
  • Date: 28th March 2023
  • Summary: DONETSK REGION, UKRAINE (MARCH 27, 2023) (REUTERS) UKRAINIAN SOLDIER FIRING RIFLE DURING ASSAULT TRAINING VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS LAYING ON THE GROUND, FIRING RIFLES FOREIGN INSTRUCTOR CHECKING ON SOLDIERS DURING DRILLS SOLDIER FIRING RIFLE SOLDIER FIRING ROCKET-PROPELLED GRENADE VARIOUS OF SWEDISH INSTRUCTOR, MAGNUS EK, BRIEFING SOLDIERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) 53-YEAR-OLD SWEDISH INSTRUCTOR, MAGNUS EK, SAYING: "Many-many hundreds so far and well, I build from the basics. It's like you have to sense where the soldiers are because I train both new soldiers that are mobilised, that just got uniform and a gun, we start from day one and also experienced units. It can be mission-related training for some fighters that are pulled out, they need to train on something and they go back to the front line and do that." VARIOUS OF EK INSTRUCTING SOLDIERS DURING DRILLS (SOUNDBITE) (English) 53-YEAR-OLD SWEDISH INSTRUCTOR, MAGNUS EK, SAYING: "My purpose here is to save lives because I know training for the soldiers that don't have any training actually will save some lives. That's my purpose why I'm here hundred percent. For the soldiers and for the front-line officers - I train both of them." SOLDIER THROWN HAND GRENADE/ FIRING RIFLE EK INSTRUCTING SOLDIERS DURING TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (English) 53-YEAR-OLD SWEDISH INSTRUCTOR, MAGNUS EK, SAYING: "The lack of time, that's the main obstacle and there are too few instructors here." VARIOUS OF TRAINING IN PROGRESS (SOUNDBITE) (Ukrainian) 49-YEAR-OLD SOLDIER, NOM-DE-GUERRE 'BATUSHKA', SAYING: "This is very good because we learn a lot, especially from the foreign instructors, they (instructors) show how foreign army would react in different terrains. Our (Ukrainian) instructors are also very experienced, they also have combat experience, they show us those things what we never have thought about. We learn a lot new things." VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS SITTING ON THE GROUND, LOADING AMMUNITION (SOUNDBITE) (UKRAINIAN) 32-YEAR-OLD SOLDIER, NOM-DE-GUERRE 'MALYSH', SAYING: "We need to learn more, a little bit more. I'm probably 50 percent ready, just need to learn a little bit more." VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS STANDING ON HILL
  • Embargoed: 11th April 2023 10:36
  • Keywords: Drill Military Military exercise Ukraine
  • Location: DONETSK REGION, UKRAINE
  • City: DONETSK REGION, UKRAINE
  • Country: Ukraine
  • Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Europe
  • Reuters ID: LVA001069427032023RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Foreign instructors trained more than one hundred Ukrainian army recruits in the Donetsk region on Monday (March 27).
    Magnus Ek, a private foreign military advisor from Sweden, provides training at the request of the Ukrainian military for Ukrainian soldiers that lack combat experience as well as more proficient service members.
    "I build from the basics. It's like you have to sense where the soldiers are because I train both new soldiers that are mobilised, that just got uniform and a gun, we start from day one and also experienced units."
    The training at an undisclosed area in Ukraine's Donetsk region starts with building the basics, such as throwing hand grenades and assaulting enemy positions.
    "The lack of time that's the main obstacle and there are too few instructors here,” said Ek, adding that each soldier has less than a month of training before being sent to the front line.
    A 49-year-old Ukrainian soldier, nicknamed "priest" by his brothers-in-arms, didn't want to choose between foreign or Ukrainian instructors.
    "We learn a lot, especially from the foreign instructors, they (instructors) show how foreign army would react in different terrains. Our (Ukrainian) instructors are also very experienced, they also have combat experience."
    Ukrainian military commanders have said their own counter-offensive - backed by newly-delivered Western hardware - is not far off, but have stressed the importance of holding Bakhmut in the meantime.
    (Production: Kwang Jiraporn Kuhakan)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2023. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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