Ukrainian Troops Teach British Trainers Tactical Patience

British military trainers working with Ukrainian soldiers were initially surprised by their slow, methodical pace in urban environments, sometimes mistaking it for laziness. However, Major Maguire, who led leadership training for six months until July 2024, realized this tactical patience was born from brutal combat experience.

Ukrainian troops refuse to advance until every potential danger is neutralized, taking hours to clear single buildings and ensuring all firing positions are secured before moving forward. This approach contrasts sharply with the British military's traditional 'get in and do it' mentality. The training program, Operation Interflex, has evolved into a two-way exchange where Ukrainian combat insights are now incorporated into British training curricula.

With over 56,000 Ukrainians trained through the program supported by 13 partner nations, Western forces are learning that the slow, careful approach—combined with willingness to take tactical risks and innovate—proves more effective in high-intensity conventional warfare than the rapid maneuvers preferred by Western militaries.

British trainers initially viewed Ukrainian soldiers' slow movement as laziness compared to their own approach. Major Maguire, a British military officer who helped lead training under Operation Interflex, admitted that British trainers first thought the Ukrainians were "a bit slow and a bit lazy" when they insisted on moving cautiously through urban environments.

However, as Maguire watched Ukrainian troops meticulously secure every aspect of their advance, he realized their methodical pace made tactical sense. The Ukrainians would take an exceptionally long time to go through a single door, stopping to look for trip wires and checking everything thoroughly. This careful approach prevented soldiers from missing dangers lurking on the battlefield, such as bunkers, mines, or other threats that could prove fatal if overlooked.

The mindset difference stems from Ukraine's practical combat experience in an existential fight. After years of battling Russia, Ukrainian soldiers discovered that speed isn't always optimal—sometimes tactical patience is the key to survival.

Ukrainian troops demonstrate extreme caution in urban environments, moving at a crawl when seizing buildings. They will occupy a structure and remain there for hours until they have coordinated everything and fully understood their next step. This approach ensures maximum safety and operational effectiveness.

According to Major Maguire, Ukrainian soldiers refuse to move to the next house until they have:

• Suppressed and secured every potential firing hole, position, and mine
• Aligned drones and artillery support for the next movement
• Thoroughly checked all entry points for traps or hazards

This take your time approach initially frustrated British trainers who were accustomed to a "you get in there, let's do it" mentality. However, after observing the Ukrainians in action and learning from their experience, the British trainers' attitudes shifted. They came to realize that the methodical approach was actually "pretty good" and tactically sound.

Ukrainian soldiers bring a level of combat readiness that exceeds what British troops typically display, according to Maguire. Having come straight from "hardcore conventional fighting," Ukrainian troops possess instinctive aggression and a greater understanding of what it takes to win the war.

Maguire noted that Ukrainians demonstrate "sheer determination" compared to UK armed forces, though he clarified that this doesn't mean the British Army lacks such qualities. The key difference is that Ukrainian troops have been engaged in high-intensity conventional warfare, while British forces have spent years preparing for counterinsurgencies rather than large-scale conventional battles.

The war in Ukraine represents a clash between old and new military concepts—a brutal, grinding attritional fight involving massed fires, armor, significant airpower, trench warfare, and modern drone technology. This is fundamentally different from the counterinsurgencies Western forces have focused on for decades.

Operation Interflex has trained more than 56,000 Ukrainian soldiers, both new recruits and experienced veterans, with support from 13 partner nations including Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Lithuania. The program has become a mutual learning experience rather than one-way instruction.

Many Ukrainians entering the program possess front-line combat experience that their Western instructors lack. Major Maguire admitted that training sergeants who already had "wounds of war" was intimidating for Western trainers. Ukrainian insights about what works against Russian forces have been absorbed into Interflex's curriculum and fed back into the UK's own training programs.

The exchange has influenced British military thinking in several ways:

• Ukrainians are "far more comfortable in taking tactical risks"
• The most skilled Ukrainian soldiers demonstrate greater imagination and innovation
• Western forces are paying attention to this willingness to innovate and experiment

As the war continues to evolve, this two-way exchange of tactics and experience between Ukrainian and Western forces becomes increasingly valuable for understanding modern high-intensity warfare.