Denmark taps Ukrainian expertise in drone warfare training
General Peter Harling Boysen announced that Danish soldiers will go to Ukraine for training in the use of combat drones. The courses will be conducted away from the frontlines. Copenhagen aims to gain first-hand knowledge to prepare its forces for future conflicts.
What do you need to know?
- Danish soldiers will train in Ukraine to use combat drones, which will help prepare them for future conflicts.
- The training will occur away from the frontlines, most likely around Lviv, and the soldiers will remain unarmed.
- Denmark has previously trained Ukrainian military personnel, and now the roles are reversing, which experts see as a step toward future military cooperation.
The commander of the Danish armed forces, Major General Peter Harling Boysen, announced on Wednesday the plan to send Danish soldiers to Ukraine, where they will participate in training conducted by the Ukrainian armed forces. The courses will cover modern combat techniques using drones.
The Danish army learns from Ukrainians: it's about drones
During my last visit to Ukraine, I asked if we could participate in the courses to learn directly from Ukrainians. Now, such an opportunity has arisen – said Boysen in an interview with TV2.
Important words from the NATO chief in Ukraine: "France and England are ready"
According to plans, the first training sessions could start as early as this summer. The mission aims to pass on the knowledge gained on the ground to other soldiers upon returning to Denmark. The general emphasized the significance of modern drones on today's battlefield and noted their enormous effectiveness in Ukraine – they account for over 70 percent of losses on the Russian side.
Denmark focuses on drones: Will soldiers end up in Lviv?
We must be able to use drones in offensive operations and defend effectively against them – he noted. He added that Danish soldiers would go to Ukraine unarmed and stay away from the front lines – most likely in the western part of the country, around Lviv.
At the same time, the general opposed a one-time, large purchase of drones for the Danish army, explaining it by the rapid technological progress in this field.
Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen opened a special military training centre for drone operators in Odense at the end of March. The centre employs about 100 soldiers and civilians.
Denmark has now trained Ukrainian military personnel, including F-16 fighter pilots, who were transferred to Ukraine by Copenhagen. Now, the roles in this cooperation are supposed to reverse, which was positively assessed by the Danish Institute for International Studies expert, Flemming Splidsboel Hansen. He emphasized that Ukraine already has experience handling over 70 types of drones.
Investments in drones are profitable – they show that drones can immobilize even expensive weapon systems – noted the expert.
Splidsboel Hansen also assessed sending Danish soldiers to Ukraine as a step toward gradually preparing Danish society for the possible future military presence of the country on Ukrainian territory. An alternative, he pointed out, could be establishing a joint training centre in eastern Poland with the participation of Danish and Ukrainian forces.
