A debrief with Ukraine’s soldiers
A debrief with Ukraine’s soldiers OCTOBER 20, 2026 PETER CADDICK-ADAMS THEMES: DEFENCE , GEOPOLITICS , HISTORY , UKRAINE , WAR Ukrainian soldiers returning from the frontline reveal that it is now a vast space policed by drones, in which death is a constant presence. Last week, I was briefed by military colleagues just back from Ukraine. Every few months, officials and outside observers visit the countries supporting Kyiv, especially those mentoring its troops. Before the 2022 invasion, training took place at the International Peacekeeping and Security Center at Yavoriv, west of Lviv near the Polish border, with the aim of aligning Ukrainian soldiers with NATO standards so that Ukraine might eventually join the alliance. When Russian missiles struck Yavoriv early in the war, mentoring moved to the UK, supported by hundreds of experts from partner nations: the Nordic and Baltic states, and countries as diverse as Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, New Zeala...