Proving That Any Trainings in Ukraine Are a Lost Cause

We have heard from several sources both in the US and abroad that the Kiev government under the leadership of President Petro Poroshenko is offering voluntary training in Ukraine to increase combat skills for the military as well as bolster the security services. The voluntary programs would, if the desired outcomes are achieved, provide an impressive record of how effective such training can be. The voluntary approach by Poroshenko seems to be part of his efforts to counter Russian aggression and promote peace in the country.

 

There was a report recently in The New York Times that outlined how members of a self-defense volunteer group called the Azov Self Defense Force had received training in the use of an old Soviet hand gun which has been known to the rebels since the beginning of the conflict. A photograph showing some members wearing what appears to be a sort of camouflage clothing holding the assault rifle was widely distributed on the internet. There have also been reports that the volunteers carrying out the trainings have received military-style fatigues. It is not clear how much of the equipment used in the exercises has come from Russia or from outside Ukraine. However, some of the volunteers have ties with far right organizations and there are calls by some groups for further demonstrations of some kind of armed resistance in eastern Ukraine against the Russians.

 

Some analysts believe that this could be another attempt by Poroshenko to publicize support for his government's policy of involving the country in what they claim is a national guard program without which they say that the Poroshenko government is at risk of sliding into bankruptcy. This is reminiscent of the early stages of the Maidan revolution when there were calls by some groups for a 'people's defense'. They were to be armed with sticks and other items used during civil unrest and possibly also fired upon by ultra-nationalists who opposed the change of guard. In the current situation, if the Azov volunteers and other groups involved in the special operations in eastern Ukraine carry out further exercises using advanced weapons it would again fuel this controversy.

 

Some believe that the recent pictures of the military advisors wearing military fatigues to training at a special operations center in the Dniester region of Ukraine, which the US Embassy denied having any such information, may be an attempt by Poroshenko to project his own country forces in the Donbass region as professional army. Such a move would certainly strengthen their hand with the local population and with the Russian leadership, which appear to be watching closely. The regular military forces of Ukraine are largely made up of volunteer units and they are very unpopular in the Donbass region where most locals consider them traitors to their homeland. These volunteer units, many of which are considered far right and even dangerous, have received training from radical groups in Russia, which may include some members of the Chechens in some capacity. Some of these units have also received training from far eastern Special Operations forces who have been trained in the use of Kalashnikov rifles and similar weaponry.

 

There is also the possibility that the recent тренинги в Украине may simply be an attempt by Poroshenko to project his own army and perhaps even a small portion of the volunteer Ukrainian army into the Donbass region. Such a move could be quite dangerous considering the Russian military is known for its great expertise in conducting night attacks and ambushes from the rear, which the Donbass region is known for. In fact many military experts believe that the recent trainings in Ukraine may simply be an attempt to demonstrate to the Russian leadership that Poroshenko's army is a formidable opponent that will require serious counterfire.

 

The use of these volunteer units against the Donbass region has given the Poroshenko government an important problem to deal with, especially as the far-right organizations seem to enjoy free reign in this region of Ukraine. The Poroshenko government may find that its initial efforts at producing a professional and effective defense and reconstruction of the country are going nowhere given the far-right groups and advisors it has recruited to fight the Donbass. Some see such trainings in Ukraine as a cover for the Poroshenko government to quell the popular uprisings in the Donbass that continue to this day. Indeed, such trainings in Ukraine may prove to be a significant failure, and Poroshenko's government may find that it must do much more than simply to appease the far-right groups and advisers of the Derkani family.