Exclusive Dispatch: US Guardsmen Train Ukrainian Troops for War Against Russia
Features
By Nolan Peterson | June 18, 2021
YAVORIV, Ukraine —
At this former Soviet military base located some 750 miles to the west of Ukraine’s eastern war zone, the sounds of tank shots, machine guns, and small arms fire snarl throughout the course of this sweltering June afternoon.
The Yavoriv International Peacekeeping and Security Centre was once a major meeting place for military leaders of the Warsaw Pact, the Soviet-led military alliance that opposed NATO during the Cold War. Some 30 years after the Soviet Union’s demise, the base is now home to a profoundly different mission.
Under the watchful eye of about 130 US Army National Guardsmen, Ukrainian troops are training for combat against Russia, their former Soviet ally, as well as to operate alongside NATO militaries. For the Ukrainians, the training mission is an invaluable opportunity to hone their combat skills and professionalize their military according to NATO standards. For the Americans, their time at Yavoriv is a blunt reality check.
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