The Ukrainian military receives a lot of Western weapons, which they do not have time to quickly master. Because of this, they often have to fight with an online translator.
This was reported by The New York Times.
After the start of a full-scale war, Western countries began to supply Ukraine not only with Soviet weapons familiar to the Armed Forces, but also modern Western ones. However, due to lack of time, the Ukrainian military does not always have the opportunity to fully master new technologies.
The publication tells the story of Sergeant Dmytro Pysanka and his unit, which is currently stationed in Kherson oblast. They have an old anti-tank gun with a sight that allows you to aim accurately at the target. A month ago, commanders gave him a high-tech laser rangefinder for even more accurate guidance, but no one knows how to use it.
"Itʼs like getting an iPhone 13 and only being able to make calls," says the sergeant.
According to him, the rangefinder is called JIM LR. It can determine targets at night, calculate coordinates, transmit the distance to the target and the compass course. Some soldiers learned to use it, but now they have been transferred to another location and left the rangefinder in another unit.
"I tried to learn to use it by reading the manual in English and using Google Translate to understand it," said Sergeant Pysanka.
Recently, the West has been reporting on the supply of more modern and heavier types of weapons to Ukraine, which will require serious training. These include the HIMARS and M270 multiple rocket launchers.
Border guard Andriy Mykita before the war received a short course of NLAW anti-aircraft missiles. Now he is constantly at the forefront, teaching other soldiers of the Armed Forces to use such weapons. He says many Ukrainian servicemen study on their own, using the Internet or watching video tutorials.
"But there are types of weapons that cannot be learned on an intuitive level: anti-aircraft missiles, artillery and equipment. Thatʼs why we need formal courses," he added.