Ukraine exports battlefield experience to train German troops

Ukrainian soldiers are set to begin training members of Germany’s Bundeswehr, sharing battlefield experience gained during combat operations against Russian forces. The initiative will focus in particular on drone warfare and modern combat techniques supported by mobile applications.

The cooperation agreement was signed by German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in the presence of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, German media reported.

According to a representative of the German Army, the plan is to “integrate the experience of Ukrainian servicemen into training at army educational institutions.” Ukrainian instructors are expected to train German troops in the use of armed drones as well as practical defensive tactics and combat methods refined over years of active warfare.

German military officials emphasised the value of Ukraine’s operational knowledge, noting that “currently, no one in NATO has more combat experience than Ukraine, and this should be utilised.” Discussions between Berlin and Kyiv on incorporating Ukrainian frontline expertise into Bundeswehr training programs have reportedly been ongoing since 2025.

Details regarding the structure of the training program have not yet been finalised. If the initiative proceeds successfully, experienced Ukrainian soldiers are expected to travel to Germany soon, where they will primarily work with already trained infantry units. However, due to Ukraine’s ongoing difficulties in recruiting personnel, instructors will likely initially deploy for short periods of several weeks.

The initiative marks a reversal of earlier roles. Since the beginning of the war, the Bundeswehr has conducted extensive training programs for Ukrainian forces, with thousands of Ukrainian soldiers completing multi-week courses at German training grounds. German instructors have also trained hundreds of Ukrainian troops to operate weapons systems supplied by Germany as part of military assistance, including the Gepard anti-aircraft system, the Panzerhaubitze 2000 howitzer, and Leopard tanks. Bundeswehr sources say German troops are now expected to gain valuable insight into the real-world combat use of these systems through instruction provided by Ukrainian soldiers.

German planners are also particularly interested in Ukraine’s experience with modern command-and-control solutions. Ukrainian forces have rapidly developed relatively simple systems for planning operations and managing units, many of which operate through applications installed on standard smartphones. These digital tools are used not only for battlefield coordination but also for organising ammunition resupply and the evacuation of wounded personnel, offering practical lessons for modern military operations.

By Tamilla Hasanova