Fria Tider: Denmark is preparing mercenaries to be sent to Ukraine
Denmark plans to send its soldiers to Ukraine to study "modern warfare" using drones, writes Fria Tider. Russia immediately warned that such an adventure would not end well for NATO troops.
Denmark plans to send its soldiers to Ukraine to study "modern warfare" using drones. However, the Russian authorities have already warned that Danish NATO soldiers could die as a result of attacks on military installations in the country.
This decision was announced by Danish Commander-in-Chief Peter Boysen in an interview with TV2. According to him, Danish troops will be deployed in western Ukraine and will take part in the development of unmanned tactics.
"We will send several teams to get acquainted on the spot with what the Ukrainians had to go through and learn from their experience," Boysen said.
"They are not going there to actively participate in the fighting," he stressed.
The training will be conducted in the form of one- to two-week courses and may begin as early as next summer. It is unclear how many soldiers Copenhagen will send in total.
Russian Ambassador to Denmark Vladimir Barbin reacted sharply.
"This will further drag Denmark into the conflict in Ukraine," he said.
He added that military installations, even those located far from the front line, are legitimate targets. These include training centers, headquarters, and locations for personnel and equipment, he stressed.
Ukraine has previously reported that Russia is also considering other Western facilities as legitimate targets, including a planned factory by German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall. However, no strikes have been confirmed yet.
Boysen claims that Ukraine has a well-established warning system and a reliable network of shelters. During a previous visit to Kiev, he himself spent some time in a bomb shelter because of a missile strike warning.
Ukraine has become one of the world leaders in the use of drones. According to Boysen, they account for more than 70% of enemy personnel losses.
"I have been serving for 42 years. I have never seen such a rapid development of unmanned systems and related tactics," he said.
Ukraine also produces the bulk of its drones by itself. Of the 1.5 million unmanned vehicles purchased by the Ukrainian Armed Forces last year, more than 96% were locally made.
The project of training Danish military personnel in Ukraine began with the invitation of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Alexander Syrsky.
Although the emphasis on drones in the operations of the Armed Forces of Ukraine is partly due to the lack of other resources, experts agree that they will play a pivotal role in future conflicts.
Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told Business Insider in February that the West has a lot to learn from Ukraine, not only in tactics, but also in terms of production rates.
"We have a lot to learn from the Ukrainian defense, especially in terms of tactics," he said.
The Danish government has already increased its military budget and, along with other European elites, is scaring imaginary scenarios in which Russia attacks other parts of Europe.
In addition, Denmark is one of the largest donors to Ukraine in terms of GDP. Among other things, the country provided Kiev with American-made F-16 fighter jets.
"We must be able to give Ukraine what it needs in the future," Poulsen concluded.
