Amid explosions and detonations, future Ukrainian soldiers continue to advance, with weapons in hand. Their rifles are loaded with live ammunition. Two tanks advance with them to retake so-called Russian positions.
This is an exercise in ultra-realistic conditions, in northeastern Ukraine, near the Russian border. For the past six months, this area has been the scene of military exercises, which have accelerated in recent weeks.
The European Union has announced that it will train 30,000 Ukrainian soldiers. But Ukraine is also stepping up its training for the counter-offensive. Military leaders know that the Russians are better organized and far more precise than at the start of the war.
