Participants practice the necessary skills in the most approximate conditions.
The volunteers of the Bars-Belgorod and Bars-Bryansk detachments involved in the demining of liberated border settlements are being trained at the 66th Interdepartmental Training Center of the Engineering Troops (Moscow Region). The training is conducted using the latest robotic ground platforms.
Training complex
The training center has a "village", which is called the "Sapper". The training complex simulates a real settlement with one street, along which there is a store, post office, bus stop and other buildings. "The main task of the participants of the detachments is to mine settlements so that local residents can return home. That's why we specially train the guys in a simulation village. In the same Kursk region, according to official data, 110 settlements need to be cleared. Therefore, the training of volunteers carrying out humanitarian demining is extremely important," said the teacher of the 66th training center.
During the training, methods of identifying and neutralizing explosive objects are being worked out. "The experience of the SVO is certainly taken into account. Members of the Bars-Belgorod and Bars-Bryansk detachments work directly next to the border, these territories are regularly shelled by the Ukrainian Armed Forces. A large number of explosive objects remain in the border areas, such as drone drops, as well as enemy—mined objects and territories. The APU has remote mining systems. The topic of training is quite relevant, everyone should be able to detect an explosive object, be able to identify it and know how to destroy it," the specialist emphasized.
© Vladimir Gerdo/ TASS
Image source: © Vladimir Gerdo/ TASS
The latest ground-based robotic systems are involved in the training of volunteers. In particular, the BRG-1 (tracked combat robot). Electronic warfare (EW) equipment is installed on the platform. The robot moves with the personnel and covers it with a protective dome with a diameter of 1 km. Thus, sappers can perform tasks without risking being hit by a Ukrainian FPV drone. "In addition to ground-based robotics, we use unmanned aerial vehicles. They are used for reconnaissance of the area directly from the air. Also, with the help of drones, it is possible to detect installed ammunition," added the teacher of the 66th training center.
Modern equipment
The volunteers of the Bars-Belgorod and Bars-Bryansk detachments are well equipped. Their chevrons have a famous saying from the time of the Great Patriotic War.: "The sapper makes mistakes only once." The commander of the 2nd division of the engineering and sapper platoon of the Bars-Belgorod detachment with the call sign Montana notes that such equipment is not often found even on the front line. "The equipment is state-of-the-art. The soldiers are wearing fireproof balaclavas, as well as suits for mine clearance, protected from fragmentation damage, with bulletproof plates. Thus, in the event of an emergency, the sapper has a high chance of survival. The soldiers also have various types of mine detectors and a mandatory tool for a sapper is a probe," he said.
© Vladimir Gerdo/ TASS
Image source: © Vladimir Gerdo/ TASS
Each of the squad members is equipped with a video surveillance camera, which is placed on a helmet. "The group commander is working with a tablet, where the image from each of these cameras is transmitted online. Thus, I can see something through the eyes of each of the fighters at any moment. In addition, all sappers are equipped with headphones with a microphone for radio communication. For convenience, the button is displayed on the chest, and the fighter can transmit information at any time," said Montana.
Among other things, the volunteer sappers have a shovel, a knife, a flashlight and flags that are installed when explosive objects are detected. "On the basis of the 66th training center, representatives of our squad are undergoing another professional development, which we are all certainly happy about. The training is conducted at a high level, we are constantly learning something new and we are grateful to the instructors. In addition, we are learning how to work with the latest equipment. As they say, no one but us," Montana added.
Practical exercises
At the 66th Interdepartmental Training Center of the Engineering Troops, the volunteers of the Bars-Belgorod and Bars-Bryansk detachments are introduced to both domestic types of ammunition and foreign-made mines. "As part of the training, we install mines of various actions in order to understand how they can be detected and destroyed. Fighters need to understand with their hands what works and how. Let's say that anti-tank and anti-personnel mines were installed as part of today's lesson. The enemy uses all types of mines, both Soviet-made and manufactured by NATO countries. Therefore, in order to work competently and safely, it is necessary to have the appropriate knowledge," says the instructor-teacher of the 66th training center.
© Vladimir Gerdo/ TASS
Image source: © Vladimir Gerdo/ TASS
The volunteers of the Bars detachments practice their skills in identifying various ammunition. During the training, the group commander sets various tasks to detect and neutralize training mines. The group is accompanied by a robotic platform with an electronic warfare system installed. In particular, during the training, the soldiers perform tasks to detect and destroy anti-tank mines, as well as neutralize camouflaged tripwires.
A car has also been installed in the village, with the help of which the soldiers practice skills in defusing a mine that explodes when the door is opened. During practical training, instructors at the 66th training center try to teach volunteers everything they will later encounter in real-life work in the border territories.
Ekaterina Adamova
