In the ongoing confrontation with Russia, Ukrainian special operators who have received training from US Green Berets are utilizing their expertise to shape the battlefield and support Ukraine’s conventional forces. They will also be a crucial part of the next counteroffensive.
Ukrainian special operators have been using their US-provided training to shape the battlefield and support Ukraine’s conventional forces in the ongoing conflict with Russia. They are expected to have a key role in Ukraine’s upcoming large-scale counteroffensive against Russia, which could change the balance of the war. The counteroffensive will likely use a combination of forces, including armored vehicles, artillery, infantry, and drones, to break through Russian lines. US Green Berets and other special-operations units have been training Ukrainian special operators since 2014, but US trainers were withdrawn from Ukraine shortly before Russia attacked last year. Despite this, Ukrainian special operators have continued to adapt and develop their own “local” flavor of training to the conditions they face on the ground, including dealing with conventional threats like tanks. Ukrainian special-operations forces have used their training to gather targeting information and conduct high-profile attacks, which have disrupted, degraded, and destroyed Russian supply depots, barracks, and other targets.
