Ukraine’s Battlefield Experience Heads to Germany to Prepare NATO for Russia by 2029

Germany is preparing to bring Ukrainian combat veterans into its military training system as Berlin accelerates efforts to prepare NATO forces for a potential confrontation with Russia later this decade, according to a report by Reuters on March 11.

Under a recently finalized agreement between Berlin and Kyiv, Ukraine will send experienced military instructors to German army schools, where they will share lessons learned from more than three years of fighting in Russia’s full-scale invasion.

The move represents a notable reversal of roles. Since 2022, Western militaries have trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian troops. Now, Ukrainian soldiers with extensive frontline experience are set to help train NATO forces.

“We have high expectations,” German army chief Lieutenant General Christian Freuding told Reuters. “The Ukrainian military is currently the only one in the world with frontline experience against Russia.”

According to Freuding, the initial group of Ukrainian trainers will likely consist of several dozen instructors who will rotate through Germany for training periods lasting a few weeks.

Freuding said Ukrainian instructors will contribute expertise in several critical areas of modern warfare, including artillery operations, engineering, armored maneuver, drone combat and battlefield command systems.

The decision comes as Western intelligence agencies warn that Russia could potentially be capable of launching a large-scale attack against NATO by 2029.

“That’s almost the day after tomorrow. We have no time—the enemy doesn’t wait for us to declare we’re ready. So we have to use every possibility to prepare,” Freuding said.

Read more

Category

Latest news

British Veteran Says Western Armies Better Be Learning From Ukraine’s Battlefield Playbook

Mar 10, 2026 13:36

Russia has repeatedly denied that it plans to attack NATO countries, but Western officials note that Moscow issued similar assurances before launching its invasion of Ukraine.

Freuding, who became head of the German army last October after previously overseeing Berlin’s military assistance to Kyiv, said Germany is the first Western country to formalize such an arrangement with Ukraine but expects others to follow.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in 2022, Germany has trained Ukrainian forces to operate Western weapons including Marder infantry fighting vehicles, Leopard tanks, artillery systems and advanced air defense platforms.

But Ukrainian units have significantly expanded on those capabilities through real combat experience, developing tactics in areas such as drone warfare and data-centric battlefield coordination—highly digitized military operations built on real-time information networks.

Read more

Category

World

How Have European Armies Changed Since Russia’s 2022 Invasion?

Feb 19, 2026 13:18

Freuding noted that many of these battlefield innovations cannot be learned through traditional training manuals.

“The fact that they are now coming to us as instructors reflects a security partnership on an equal footing,” he said.

Ukraine’s combat expertise is increasingly attracting attention beyond Europe as well. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy recently said Kyiv is prepared to help the United States counter Iranian drone threats in the Middle East, highlighting how battlefield innovations developed during the war are now shaping military planning far beyond Ukraine’s borders.

Earlier, reports emerged that Saudi Arabia is currently in negotiations with Ukraine to acquire interceptor drones designed to neutralize Iranian-made Shahed loitering munitions.

Truth is Under Attack

We report the war as it unfolds directly from the people and places most affected by it. Your support helps us bring these stories to the world.

DEFEND THE TRUTH