IRISH TROOPS HAVE completed their first mission training Ukrainian soldiers in bomb disposal techniques at a base in Cyprus.
The Irish team, comprising six instructors from the Engineer and Ordnance Corps of the Irish Defence Forces, were working alongside Cypriot military engineers.
The Irish troops are experts in bomb disposal and work in the area of Explosive Ordnance Disposal in Ireland.
A military spokesperson said that their work with the Ukrainians covered a number of areas the Irish have expert capabilities in, including search and clearance for mines, mine countermeasures, demining and dealing with unexploded ordnance such as bombs and artillery shells.
“The first Mobile Training Team of six specialist instructors from the Engineer and Ordnance Corps of the Irish Defence Forces were working alongside Cypriot military engineers delivering this training,” they said.
“These personnel bring practical experience in military search and clearance procedures in addition to the capability to identify and neutralise mines and unexploded ordnance.”
The Government of Cyprus announced in early April that it would offer courses in the detection and explosive ordnance disposal to Ukrainian troops.
“This non-lethal military capability enables UAF personnel to safely and efficiently conduct battlefield area clearance in areas of Ukraine that were contaminated during fighting but are now behind the frontline,” the Irish Defence Forces said.
“The techniques and procedures being taught will provide UAF personnel with the ability to systematically clear the land of mines and unexploded ordnance, thereby facilitating the freedom of movement of the Ukrainian military and its people. Eventually, this will allow for the restoration of essential services and the resumption of normality in areas that were affected by the conflict.”
The Defence Forces spokesperson explained that this is the first Mobile Training Team (MTT) that has been pledged by the Irish Government.
It is expected that up to 30 Irish soldiers will provide the training to some of the estimated five thousand UAF soldiers required to demine Ukraine.
Other training teams are in the planning stages and pending approval. The Defence Forces also contributes four headquarters staff to the mission based in Brussels and Germany.
The EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM-UA) was set up in October 2022.
The Defence Forces said the objective of the mission is to strengthen the capacity of the Ukrainian Armed Forces to “defend Ukraine’s territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders and to deter and respond to possible future military offensives by Russia and other potential aggressors”.
Twenty-four EU Member States have offered training modules and personnel – it also includes the provision of equipment for military purposes to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
This equipment is provided by Member States and funded by the European Peace Facility. Specialist training has taken place in various locations around Europe.
On 21 February, the Government approved the participation of up to 30 Defence Forces’ personnel at any given time in the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine).
A Defence Forces spokesperson explained that the Irish officials have been working with the EU’s Military Planning and Conduct Capability (MPCC) in Brussels, which is the Operations Headquarters and “where we have one person deployed, with a view to identifying suitable opportunities for training to the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF), based on the training needs identified by the UAF”.
“As a result of that engagement, a four-week course in demining and clearance was identified, which the DF concluded was a viable option which they had the appropriate skill sets to offer.
“As part of the DF’s contribution to EUMAM Ukraine, three DF personnel have also been deployed to the multi-national Special Training Command (STC) in Strausberg, Germany. Their duties include coordination, administration and logistical support as required to EUMAM training delivered in Germany,” she added.
The Defence Forces planners in Ireland are now developing further modules, in conjunction with colleagues in Belgium and Germany – it is hoped this work will inform the upcoming training missions by the Irish Defence Forces.
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