As the first ray of sun hit on an unexpectedly frosty August morning, a few hundred just-graduated Ukrainian paratroopers were traipsing across a corn and rapeseed field, preparing for their first jump.<\/p>\n
Sitting in line with the gear strapped to their backs for the training exercise, many know they are unlikely to ever do one in a real warzone.<\/p>\n
Four years after Russia invaded, technology has completely transformed the war and the role of soldiers.<\/p>\n
“Airdropping personnel with parachute systems is impractical because, unfortunately, the enemy’s assets can neutralize them very rapidly,” said 24-year-old instructor Axel.<\/p>\n
The once-familiar picture of a war fought with infantry at the front and dog-fights in the air has become increasingly obsolete.<\/p>\n
Drones have taken over the skies, while ground robots are being integrated into combat missions — both to fight and resupply troops stuck in dangerous positions.<\/p>\n
Around 90 percent of targets are now destroyed by drones, Ukraine’s defence ministry reported in July.<\/p>\n
Still, the future paratroopers were sure that traditional skills are still relevant.<\/p>\n
Technology could only do so much, said a 21-year-old rookie, who goes by the callsign “Karyi”.<\/p>\n
“I’d love to see artificial intelligence winning wars, liberating territories.”<\/p>\n
– ‘Forging character’ –<\/p>\n
Airborne forces have traditionally been considered elite by many armies around the world, with airdrops remaining a fundamental part of conflict since World War II.<\/p>\n
But at this point in the war with Russia, Ukraine’s newly trained paratroopers will be deployed with the same basic mission: hold the front, and push back the Russian advance.<\/p>\n
Parachute jumps behind enemy lines are “not practical at all” in modern warfare, young officer Roman Kulievych told AFP at the training in central Ukraine.<\/p>\n
“But it endures anyway as a tradition that forges character, one that sets us apart from other branches of the armed forces.”<\/p>\n
Army instructors say training in traditional skills has broader importance.<\/p>\n
“It is essentially part of psychological training: this way we understand if the personnel are ready for stressful situations … and how they fight their fears,” said Axel.<\/p>\n
The same logic dictates the “forced march” the hopefuls must undergo — the final exercise required to earn the paratrooper’s beret.<\/p>\n
Surrounded by constant explosions, gunfire, and the shouts of instructors, the future paras march for kilometres through sand and swamps amid the stench of rotting animal entrails and fake blood.\u00a0<\/p>\n
At the end: hand-to-hand combat with three experienced paratroopers, one after another.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“It shapes your psyche and moulds your motivation to fight, so that in critical situations, you know you are capable of something more”, said Karyi.<\/p>\n
For many at the front, the main fear is not an infantryman storming over the top, but an unseen enemy operating a drone from far away with a joystick.<\/p>\n
Ukraine’s instructors say this change means conventional soldiers have to to be even better prepared for the mental hardships.<\/p>\n
No rotations for days, lengthy food shortages and being scared to move for fear of giving away a position to the eyes in the sky are the daily realities of drone warfare for those on the ground.<\/p>\n
– ‘People, not robots’ –<\/p>\n
At the training, an air-raid alert interrupted the buzz among the future paratroopers. The flights were grounded until the danger passed.<\/p>\n
The commander laced his shouted orders with softer tones and classic expletive-laden army jokes, balancing between strict discipline and a fatherly affection for the young soldiers.<\/p>\n
“Gentlemen, stop screwing around and get over here to help your brothers gear up the parachute. Find yourself a good-looking life companion and get to work,” he shouted.<\/p>\n
As he finished helping a fellow trainee gear up, one paratrooper wished another good luck with a firm handshake.<\/p>\n
“Luck is for losers. In our line of work, it’s skill and courage,” came the reply.<\/p>\n
Yuriy, a senior instructor who led one of the squads across the gruelling obstacle course, has at times pondered the necessity of such trials given the nature of drone warfare.<\/p>\n
Maybe one day “only techies will do the fighting”, he said.<\/p>\n
“But still, territory is only held by a unit when actual units are standing there — meaning people, not robots.”<\/p>\n
Karyi, the future paratrooper, agreed.<\/p>\n
“First and foremost, a human is still behind all of this, and these people must be of high quality”.<\/p>\n
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