Ukrainian troops will be taught new SERE survival course

Source: Ukraine’s Ministry of Defense

Ukrainian military personnel will be given a survival training program — SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) after this military standard was approved by the Ministry of Defense. Developed in accordance with NATO standards, it is adapted to Ukraine’s national specifics and combat experience gained during the war with Russia.

The training will have of three levels — basic, intermediate, and advanced, with  each tailored to specific objectives and training methods.

“Preparation for survival in extreme conditions is an integral part of military training. The risk of isolation or operating under challenging conditions is an inherent part of military service. Our goal is to equip soldiers with essential knowledge and train instructors to guide them through these challenges. At the same time, implementing such a standard brings us closer to NATO principles, a significant step in our Euro-Atlantic integration,” said Deputy Minister of Defense Dmytro Klimenkov.

The training will focus on survival skills like successful evasion and recovery efforts, evasion movement techniques, and will teach to break contact from enemy forces using personal weapons and negotiate barriers to evasion.

Ukrainian troops will acquire practical skills for survival in various environments, such as arctic, tropical, mountainous, and desert regions. Special attention will be given to organizing search-and-rescue operations to facilitate the effective evacuation of isolated personnel.