Despite being deep within the forests of rural Germany, Ukrainian conscripts training for combat find themselves under the watchful eyes of unidentified drones. These drones, believed to be part of Russian intelligence efforts, frequently hover over the secret German military base where Ukrainian soldiers are undergoing rigorous combat training. German officers have acknowledged the challenge in countering these drones and have chosen to incorporate their presence into the training regimen.
Lieutenant Colonel Roland Bösker, during a visit to the training site outside Berlin, revealed the technical impossibility of jamming all drone frequencies without also disrupting vital military communications. “It is technically impossible to block all frequencies that can be used to steer drones,” Bösker told POLITICO, explaining that any attempts to jam the signals would also disable their radios and that adversaries could easily find ways to bypass the jamming.
This ongoing surveillance has forced German instructors to adapt their training methods. Instead of trying to intercept or jam the drones, they have integrated the threat into their exercises, preparing Ukrainian soldiers for the realities of drone-heavy battlefields. “The way that we deal with the problem is that we integrate the enemy drones into the training by telling the soldiers to keep watch constantly,” Bösker said, emphasizing the need for constant aerial awareness.
The presence of these drones has added a layer of realism to the training, which is part of the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine). This mission aims to train 60,000 Ukrainian troops by the end of 2024. The training base, located in a former East German military barrack near Berlin, is one of the two main training centers under this initiative, with the other located in Poland. Ukrainian recruits, ranging from young men to those in their 40s and 50s, undergo intensive six-week courses covering trench and urban warfare.
Colonel Niels Janeke, overseeing the training, noted that the conflict has necessitated a reevaluation of military tactics. “To be back in this conventional war fighting in Europe — I wouldn’t have imagined that,” he admitted. The practical experience gained from these training sessions is also being utilized by the German military to refine their own tactics, including improved camouflage and troop separation to minimize drone detection.
Moreover, the training has shed light on various intelligence threats, including suspected “honey-trap” operations targeting instructors. Despite these challenges, the training continues to adapt, with both German and Ukrainian soldiers learning valuable lessons for the battlefield.
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