Russia and Ukraine flashpoint

[Ryuu96]

How did Ukraine prepare for the counteroffensive? We spent time with the brand-new 47th brigade, whose commanders war-gamed their assaults with NATO instructors in Germany. The brigade, expected to be the tip of the spear, received all of the Bradleys. https://t.co/ZlreRINsr8

— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) June 4, 2023

The brigade's leadership trained with computers that simulated situations they might face in real life. Deputy commander Maj. Ivan Shalamaha and others planned their assaults and then let the program show them the results — how their Russian enemies might respond, where they could make a breakthrough and where they would suffer losses.

Shalamaha said the first tasks working with KORA, a war-game simulator designed for NATO forces, were to plan make-believe operations on foreign soil against a pretend enemy. The instruction progressed to focus on what lies ahead for Ukraine's military this summer. By the end, Shalamaha was working alongside commanders of other brigades expected to fight in the counteroffensive, coordinating their actions to test how they'd work together on the battlefield.

Others in the 47th brigade received training specific to the weapons or vehicles they'd be receiving, first learning the basics of how to operate them, then how to incorporate them as a single battle unit and then alongside other units.

Though still unproven on the battlefield, the 47th brigade is armed almost entirely with Western weapons and, in a first, nearly every one of the unit's soldiers has undergone a weeks-long course with foreign instructors. The 47th's leadership is also especially young — all born after the fall of the Soviet Union. Alongside Shalamaha, who is 25, Lt. Col. Oleksandr Sak, the brigade's top commander, is 28. Markus, the chief master sergeant, is 29.

But the biggest change? They didn't just accept anyone, interviewing every soldier who wanted to join the brigade. Commanders questioned each person's motivation and readiness. Every candidate had to pass a physical fitness test.