Ukraine is helping NATO trainers recreate its battlefield, calling out what they get wrong to make it more realistic
NATO trainers in Poland are collaborating with Ukrainian troops to create highly realistic battlefield simulations for training purposes. Ukrainian soldiers provide direct feedback to ensure the training reflects current combat realities, including drone and trench warfare.
Why it matters
This collaborative approach highlights the evolution of Western military training to meet the specific, high-intensity demands of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Norway is leading multinational training for Ukrainian troops in NATO ally Poland, and trying to make the effort resemble the real fight as much as possible. NATO Western allies are trying to make training for Ukrainian troops resemble the battlefield as closely as possible. Trenches, weapons, drones, vehicles, and even explosions are designed to mirror what soldiers face in Ukraine. Ukrainian troops shape the training, once telling allies before a rotation that "this is not good enough." Western trainers are trying to recreate Ukraine's battlefields on NATO soil to make training for its soldiers as realistic as possible. Ukrainian troops are key to helping them get it right. Western militaries are training Ukrainian soldiers at a purpose-built facility in Poland as part of Norway-led Operation Legio.
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