Danish troops to train in Ukraine's drone warfare tactics
General Peter Harling Boysen announced that Danish soldiers will be heading to Ukraine to receive training in the use of combat drones. The courses will be conducted away from the frontlines. Copenhagen is keen to acquire firsthand knowledge to prepare its forces for future conflicts.
What you need to know:
- Danish soldiers will train in Ukraine to operate combat drones, aiding them in preparation for future conflicts.
- The training will occur away from the frontlines, most likely around Lviv, with the soldiers remaining unarmed.
- Denmark has previously trained Ukrainian military personnel, and now the roles are reversing. Experts regard this as a step towards 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 engage in training conducted by the Ukrainian armed forces. The courses will focus on 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.
According to the plans, the first training sessions could commence as early as this summer. The mission aims to transfer the knowledge acquired to other soldiers upon returning to Denmark. The general highlighted the importance of contemporary drones on the battlefield, noting their significant effectiveness in Ukraine – they account for over 70% of losses on the Russian side.
Denmark focuses on drones. Will soldiers end up in Lviv?
We must be able to employ drones in offensive operations and effectively defend against them, he noted. He added that Danish soldiers would travel to Ukraine unarmed and stay away from the frontlines, likely in the western part of the country, around Lviv.
Simultaneously, the general opposed a one-time, large-scale procurement of drones for the Danish army, citing the rapid technological advancements in the field.
At the end of March, Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen inaugurated a specialised military training centre for drone operators in Odense, where approximately 100 soldiers and civilians work.
Up to now, Denmark has trained Ukrainian military personnel, including F-16 fighter pilots who were transferred to Ukraine by Copenhagen. Now the roles in this cooperation are expected to reverse, which was positively assessed by the expert from the Danish Institute for International Studies, Flemming Splidsboel Hansen. He emphasised that Ukraine already has experience in operating over 70 types of drones.
Investments in drones are prudent – they demonstrate that drones can immobilise even expensive weapon systems, noted the expert.
Splidsboel Hansen also evaluated the deployment of Danish soldiers to Ukraine as a step towards gradually acclimatising Danish society for the potential future military presence of the country on Ukrainian soil. An alternative, he suggested, could be the establishment of a joint training centre in eastern Poland with the participation of Danish and Ukrainian forces.
