Champagne, France: Under the cover of yellow smoke, Ukrainian soldiers scramble through trenches as machine gunfire echoes across muddy fields, drones hum overhead, and urgent commands in Ukrainian ring out: “Watch out!”
This intense training is not taking place in the Donbas region but in France’s eastern Marne region, where French and German forces once clashed during World War I. Around 2,000 Ukrainian conscripts and veterans are honing their skills in conditions designed to replicate the realities of their homeland’s battlefields.
The program, funded by the European Union, has already trained 60,000 Ukrainian soldiers since the onset of Russia’s invasion in 2022. France, a key supporter, has tailored its contribution by simulating combat scenarios and equipping trainees with military assets such as 128 armored vehicles, Caesar howitzers, anti-tank missile systems, surface-to-air missiles, and battlefield radars.
The Anne of Kyiv brigade, named after a Ukrainian princess who married French King Henri I in 1051, has been training in France since September. Soon, it will travel to Poland before being deployed to Ukraine’s front lines.
French officials emphasize the urgency of building at least 15 highly trained brigades to bolster Ukraine’s defenses, particularly in light of potential uncertainties in Western military aid following Donald Trump’s U.S. election victory, given his critical stance on such support.
‘A War for Our Existence’
The brigade consists of recruits who joined the army just weeks ago, alongside a smaller group of veterans. The soldiers’ average age is 38, but some, like Mykhailo, are as old as 50. Mykhailo, a former chemical factory worker, now leads an AMX light tank squadron.
“Fear is part of war. For us, it’s a war for our existence and survival,” said Colonel Dmytro Rymschyn, 38, the brigade commander. “We will soon go back to our native land, and our brigade will show its competence. I believe in our victory.”
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When asked about the possibility of the war ending soon, Mykhailo responded with a faint smile: “The hope is that it finishes before we have to go back.”
The French military has observed rapid progress among the trainees. After nine weeks of rigorous drills, the soldiers are equipped to repel trench assaults and launch counter-attacks.
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French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu highlighted the human dimension of this initiative, acknowledging the sobering reality that some trainees may lose their lives in combat. “There is an exchange with people here who, in several weeks, will be in a combat situation on the frontline,” he said. “This is not just training; it is preparation for survival and victory.”
