A former Polish defense minister says NATO is mining Ukraine’s battlefield experience to update tactics and training. New analyses could shape defense planning across Europe.

Ukraine’s experience during the full-scale war with Russia is extremely valuable to NATO countries and Europe, which use it to prepare for modern security challenges.

This was stated by former Polish Minister of National Defence Janusz Onyszkiewicz during an interview published by a Ukrainian information resource. According to him, NATO continuously analyzes the course of the war in Ukraine to adapt its own approaches to modern combat operations.

NATO continually analyzes what is happening in Ukraine. After all, in Bydgoszcz there is a dedicated NATO center that conducts exactly this kind of analysis (JATEC – ed.). These are incredibly valuable insights that demonstrate entirely new methods of action

– Janusz Onyszkiewicz

The value of lessons for future conflicts and Europe’s approaches

According to the former defence minister, the alliance aims to assess how a potential NATO-Russia confrontation might resemble the current Russia-Ukraine war. This requires analysis, including understanding to what extent a conflict between NATO and Russia could repeat the Ukraine scenario.

At the same time, Onyskiewicz notes that a possible armed conflict between the Alliance and Russia would not necessarily repeat the Ukraine war scenario after 2022. However, the experience of this conflict, as well as the knowledge and methods Ukrainians have gained, undoubtedly remain extremely valuable for European partners.

According to the NATO-Ukraine Centre for Analysis, Preparation and Education (JATEC), they are working on finding technological solutions to protect tactical transport vehicles and service members on the battlefield, which is crucial for ensuring full evacuation of the wounded.

Poland, the Baltic states and the Nordic countries show the greatest interest in studying Ukrainian combat experience, as a result of their geographical proximity to Russia they feel the threat of potential conflict more acutely

– Valeriy Vyshnivskyi

According to Colonel Valeriy Vyshnivskyi, Director of Program Implementation at the NATO-Ukraine Centre for Analysis, Preparation and Education (JATEC) and Ukraine’s Senior National Representative to JATEC, this interest is also growing in Central and Northern European countries, underscoring the value of Ukraine’s experience.

Thus, Ukraine’s experience continues to serve as an important reference for NATO and European countries in planning and strengthening defense capabilities.