Non-Ukrainians oversaw a training mission for Ukrainian marines returning home. US veterans are paying for their own flights to help prepare civilians for the next phase of the war with Russia.

In a WSJ feature, a group of Ukrainian marine recruits was seen wearing mismatched fatigues, who laid on the grass, cocking their assault rifles and aiming at targets. As the US instructors arrived, they were surprised to see, one by one, the Ukrainians started squeezing the trigger.

“Cease fire!” yelled Steven Tomberlin, 62, a retired police officer from Colorado overseeing this part of the training. “Until I give the command. You. Do. Not. Do. Anything.”

Bullets frequently missed their mark when firing resumed, hitting the dirt berm rather than their targets.

Sr. Lt. Anton Solohub, a deputy commander of this Ukrainian Marine battalion, described the first day of a crash course provided by American veterans as he observed the lesson. Solohub noted that many of the enrollees had never held a weapon before. He was an electrician or a tractor driver prior to being mobilized.

These instructors have guaranteed to produce a unique force of men in 10 days,” Sr. Lt. Solohub chuckled. “Let’s see if they can do it.

Kyiv’s most significant challenge today is training these civilians for brutal combat against a better-armed and larger opponent, especially as it attempts to regain occupied territory.

Ukraine’s military is suffering from a severe shortage of qualified instructors because combat troops are required on the front lines. Because British, American, and Canadian active-duty soldiers were removed in February, no training missions can be conducted on British soil.
Volunteers like Tomberlin, who used to train Afghan commandos, are how it comes in.