Latest news with #PeterBoysen
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
A NATO country will send troops to Ukraine to learn from the war. Russia said they will be legitimate targets.
Denmark said it will send soldiers to Ukraine for training to learn from real-world combat. Unarmed troops will go to Western Ukraine to learn drone warfare, Denmark's commander in chief said. Russia responded that the location of personnel and equipment would be a "legitimate target." Denmark is planning to send some of its soldiers to Ukraine so they can learn from Ukraine's experience fighting Russia, and Russia said they would be legitimate military targets. Maj. Gen. Peter Boysen, Denmark's commander in chief, told state broadcaster TV 2 that unarmed Danish troops will be sent to learn drone warfare. He said the troops would be stationed in Western Ukraine, which is far from the front lines but is still subject to some Russian long-range missile attacks. "We're sending some teams down to see what experiences the Ukrainians have had — first-hand," Boysen said, according to a translation of his remarks by the Kyiv Independent. "They are not going there to actively participate in the war," he added. Boysen said operators and instructors would take courses that last one to two weeks, and the training would start as soon as possible, potentially this summer. He said it had not yet been decided how many troops would be sent. Russia's ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, told TV 2 that the move was a provocation and said it would "drag Denmark deeper and deeper into the conflict in Ukraine," per the Kyiv Independent's translation. He said that facilities "including headquarters, training and education centers, as well as locations of military personnel and military equipment, both deep inside Ukrainian territory and on the front line, are a legitimate target." Russia has described other Western assets in Ukraine, like a plant for German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall, as legitimate military targets, but has not had any reported or confirmed strikes on them. Boysen said Ukraine has strong air raid warning systems and shelters, and said he spent time in a shelter in Kyiv when visiting Ukraine. Ukraine has become a world leader in drone warfare, rapidly innovating new tactics, drone types, and countermeasures. Western nations have paid close attention. Boysen said that in the 42 years he's been in the armed forces, he's never seen things develop as quickly as they have with uncrewed systems and tactics. "We can learn a lot from the combat experience they have gained in Ukraine," Boysen said. "It is clear that we are relying on their experience to become better in combat." He also said the project started with an invitation from Ukraine's commander in chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi. Drones have been used in Ukraine more than in any other conflict in history. Boysen said attack drones account for more than 70% of Ukrainian kills. Ukraine is also making most of its own; it said more than 96% of the 1.5 million drones it bought last year were of Ukrainian origin. A conflict between Russia and the West would likely look very different from the war in Ukraine. Ukraine's reliance on drones has been partly driven by its shortages of other weaponry and defenses, and by it having a much smaller military than Russia. But most warfare experts agree that drones will be a key part of any future conflict. The West is also adopting lessons far beyond drones. Troels Lund Poulsen, Denmark's defense minister, told Business Insider in February that the West can learn lessons from Ukraine, including about how to make weapons faster. "From the armed forces, we have quite much to learn, especially on the tactics," he said. Denmark has already increased its defense spending, warning, like many other European nations, that Russia could attack elsewhere on the continent. It is also the second-biggest giver of aid to Ukraine as a proportion of its GDP, and has played a leading role in giving Ukraine key weapons, like F-16 fighter jets. Poulsen said allies should step up their support to Ukraine further: "We should be able to give Ukraine what they will need in the future." Read the original article on Business Insider
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Denmark to send unarmed soldiers to Ukraine for drone warfare training
The Danish Armed Forces plan to send unarmed troops to Ukraine for short-term training courses to study the country's drone warfare tactics, Major General Peter Boysen, Denmark's commander-in-chief, told state broadcaster TV 2 on April 16. While several NATO countries have trained Ukrainian forces abroad, no official reports have confirmed the presence of foreign troops inside Ukraine for training purposes. The courses, expected to begin as early as this summer, will take place at training centers in western Ukraine and will not involve direct combat. "We're sending some teams down to see what experiences the Ukrainians have had — first-hand," Boysen said. "They are not going there to actively participate in the war." Boysen, who has visited Ukraine twice in recent months, said the initiative is being launched at the invitation of Ukrainian Commander-in-Chief Oleksandr Syrskyi. "In the 42 years I have been in the Armed Forces, I have not experienced things moving as fast as they are right now," Boysen said, referring to advances in unmanned systems and combat tactics driven by Ukraine's experience with drone warfare. Both Ukraine and Russia have come to rely heavily on drones for reconnaissance, artillery spotting, and targeted attacks. Denmark sees the conflict as a live testbed for modern warfare. Join our community Support independent journalism in Ukraine. Join us in this fight. Support Us The training program will involve teams from different Danish military regiments. Courses will last one to two weeks and be conducted far from the front line, possibly near Lviv. Boysen emphasized that Ukraine has robust air raid warning systems and shelters, saying, "I've spent time in one of them in Kyiv myself." The move drew sharp criticism from the Russian Embassy in Copenhagen. Russian Ambassador Vladimir Barbin called the decision a provocation, warning it would "drag Denmark deeper and deeper into the conflict in Ukraine." "(F)acilities, including headquarters, training and education centers, as well as locations of military personnel and military equipment, both deep inside Ukrainian territory and on the front line, are a legitimate target for the Russian Armed Forces," Barbin said. Separately, European allies are discussing plans to deploy a "reassurance force" in Ukraine after a potential ceasefire to secure Ukrainian strategic facilities in the rear. Copenhagen signaled interest in taking part in the effort. Denmark has been a key backer of Ukraine since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. In February 2024, Copenhagen signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement with Kyiv, pledging long-term defense cooperation until Ukraine secures NATO membership. Read also: Trump officials 'fed up' with Europe's efforts to strengthen Ukraine, Economist reports We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Denmark to send soldiers for training in Ukraine
The Danish Armed Forces are planning to send Danish soldiers to Ukraine for training. Source: Major General Peter Boysen, Commander of the Danish Ground Forces, in an interview with Danish TV channel TV 2, as reported by European Pravda Details: Several teams of Danish soldiers are set to be deployed to Ukraine. They will be unarmed and drawn from various military regiments. The Danish command is particularly interested in Ukraine's three years of frontline experience with drone warfare. "In my 42 years of service in the armed forces, I have never seen events develop so quickly," said Major General Peter Boysen, after observing the training of a reconnaissance regiment using advanced attack drones similar to those deployed on the front line in Ukraine. Boysen asserts that the adoption of new weapons systems and warfare methods by the Danish Armed Forces stems from his two recent visits to Ukraine. He now aims to accelerate the process by sending more teams of Danish soldiers to training camps in Ukraine. The number of training courses has not yet been finalised, but Boysen told TV 2 that both instructors and soldiers are expected to take part in sessions lasting one to two weeks, possibly starting as early as this summer. "We are sending several teams there to see first-hand what experience the Ukrainians have. So come and get this experience," he said. "Yes, I've been there several times. But these soldiers aren't going there to take an active part in the war. They're going there to gain some experience, and this is at the invitation of my counterpart, the commander of the Ukrainian military," said Boysen. Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in Copenhagen has expressed outrage over the Danish Armed Forces' plan to send personnel to a training camp in Ukraine. "Sending Danish troops to Ukraine, including to study combat experience, draws Denmark deeper and deeper into the conflict in Ukraine and provokes its further uncontrolled escalation," Russian Ambassador Vladimir Barbin said in a written comment to TV 2. In response, Boysen emphasised that the soldiers would be unarmed and deployed far from the front line, likely at a training centre in Ukraine's west. "They will be trained far from the front line, for example, in Lviv in Ukraine's west. And if there is a missile attack, the Ukrainians have outstanding warning systems and good shelters. I myself spent time in one of them in Kyiv," Boysen said. Background: At the end of March, Denmark announced €130 million in guarantees for Danish companies prepared to invest in Ukraine's defence industry. More recently, the drone coalition, which includes Denmark, allocated €20 million from a joint fund to procure tactical-level intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) drones for Ukraine's defence forces. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
South China Morning Post
16-04-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Denmark to send soldiers to Ukraine for training
Nato member Denmark plans to send unarmed soldiers to train in Ukraine, the head of the Danish army, Peter Boysen, told broadcaster TV 2 on Wednesday. Advertisement He said Danish soldiers are to learn from Ukrainian military personnel, particularly from their experiences in drone warfare. Boysen told TV 2 that the Danish soldiers would remain far from the front lines and would likely be located in training centres in western Ukraine. Training could begin as early as the summer, he said. Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen declined to comment on the plans, saying the matter falls under the military's jurisdiction, the Ritzau news agency reported. 02:47 Ukraine captured 2 Chinese nationals fighting for Russia, Zelensky says Ukraine captured 2 Chinese nationals fighting for Russia, Zelensky says The training plans have caused discontent at the Russian embassy in Copenhagen. In a written statement to TV 2, Russia's ambassador to Denmark, Vladimir Barbin, said training Danish soldiers in Ukraine would 'draw Denmark deeper into the conflict' and 'provoke further uncontrolled escalation'.
