Western Instructors Struggle to Teach Ukrainian Soldiers Trained in Soviet Era - Reports

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Western instructors admit they have difficulties in training Ukrainian commanders who have already received basic training in Soviet times, a British news agency reported on Monday, citing Western military officers.

One of the German instructors told the newspaper he had friction sometimes with senior Ukrainian commanders, who have received training in the Soviet Union and therefore "think they know better."

Western instructors also say the age and abilities of the Ukrainian military arriving for training vary dramatically. One of the Ukrainians who was sent to Germany was 71 years old, the report said.

Following the start of Russia's military operation in Ukraine in February 2022, Western nations launched training missions for Ukrainian soldiers and officers. Western instructors teach them advanced tactics and how to operate modern military equipment, including tanks and jets. In June, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the bloc had trained as many as 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers and was planning to continue its training mission to support Kiev.