Ukraine's battlefield success surprised Russia, but US troops who trained Ukrainians saw it coming, National Guard chief says

Fri, 01/27/2023 - 12:41

Ukraine army NCO noncommissioned officer — A Ukrainian noncommissioned officer leads a US-Ukrainian NCO professional development class at a training center in Ukraine in October 2017.
Oklahoma Army National Guard/Sgt. Anthony Jones

Many expected Russia's military to overwhelm Ukraine's forces when it attacked in February 2022.
Ukraine's success has been attributed in part to the skill of its noncommissioned officers.
Since 2015, US troops have trained Ukraine's NCOs to "feed initiative and make tactical decisions."

Ukraine's stiff but flexible defense in the days after Russia's invasion a year ago surprised the Russians, but US National Guard troops who trained those Ukrainians saw it coming, the head of the US National Guard said this week.