26 August 2025
For Australian soldiers and officers on the 10th rotation of Operation Kudu, supporting and training Ukrainian soldiers for four-and-a-half months has been a purposeful experience.
The operation is Australia’s contribution to Operation Interflex, the international military training mission in the UK, to provide training for the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
As part of the mission, members of the ADF lead a range of leadership courses focused on troop-leading procedures and foundation warfighting skills.
These include urban and trench warfare, combat first aid, explosive hazard awareness and marksmanship, with a culminating field tactical exercise.
An Australian soldier who instructed on a platoon commander and sergeants course said the Ukrainians sometimes lacked important individual soldier skills, which is where he saw the most improvement.
“Some of the older members can be a little bit more entrenched in their previous training and they benefit from NATO training and skills,” he said.
“They’re getting new training that they are able to teach their subordinates as well, which is increasing the abilities of the AFU as a whole.
“As more and more people start to pick up this NATO training and some of our doctrine, our skills, it increases their effectiveness to communicate orders, to communicate how they will achieve a mission, in order to overcome their adversaries.
“From the initial stages of the course, AFU personnel are determined and willing to learn, immediately on board to do whatever they need to get the job done. Their ADF instructors have taken heart from their dedication.
“They're very strong and fierce in their loyalty to their country, to their mates and to their allies.
“Even though they're in a war, they're still willing to give you the shirt off their back just for helping them get better.”
Initially for this Australian soldier, the deployment was an opportunity for professional development, but it became more than that.
“A day or two before getting on the plane, my dad told me I had Ukrainian heritage, so it made it a little bit closer to home,” he said.
“I have been able to learn more about my heritage and the Ukrainian family traditions.
“It went from being a training opportunity to a journey of self-discovery.
“As Australians, we love our freedom, we are a great nation and Ukraine also wants that.
“We are assisting in a fight for their nation's freedom.”
