Ukrainian recruits taught trench warfare

Armed Forces of Ukraine recruits, under the guidance of Australian Army instructors deployed on Operation Kudu in the United Kingdom, completed trench training under realistic conditions.

CAPTION: Australian Army soldiers from the 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, demonstrate trench warfare tactics to Ukrainian trainees in the UK. Story by Captain Annie Richardson. Photo by Corporal Jonathan Goedhart.

The training exposed recruits to the intricacies of developing a defensive position, defending, and attacking.

It was made as realistic as possible to prepare them for the battlefield.

“The trench exercises focus on developing a trench system under fatigue, coordinating reconnaissance of enemy positions, and offensive patrolling,” said one of the Australian platoon commanders.

“This means conducting a digging routine and working in their pairs within their pit location.

“We have been probing them sporadically through the night to further their fatigue levels and to simulate the kinds of situations they may see in the coming weeks.

CAPTION: Australian Army soldiers demonstrate trench warfare tactics to Ukrainian trainees in the UK. Photo by Corporal Dustin Anderson.

“The training is realistic and demanding – it mimics the high-stress and high-stakes environment which the trainees will need to be able to operate effectively in.

“Some of the trainees have already got experience in trench warfare from the [Russo-Ukraine] war – so the learning has at times been mutual.

“There are a lot of soldiers who have come from the frontline, who are about to go straight back into it, so this training is the most realistic for them.”

No Australians will enter Ukraine as part of Operation Kudu.

CAPTION: Ukrainian trainees conduct trench warfare by night during the first rotation of Operation Kudu in the UK. Photo by Corporal Dustin Anderson.

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