About 40 Ukrainians are receiving a crash lesson in one of the West's most cutting-edge air defence systems in a secretive German forest, convinced that it will help them better fend off Russian strikes once they return home.
One of the most sought-after weapons that Berlin has sent to Kyiv is the IRIS-T SLM system, which has a range of about 40 kilometres (25 miles) and a 360-degree view.
"Our major objective is to learn as quickly as possible so we can get back and continue to fight," Myckhailo, a 45 year-old who has been a soldier for 27 years, told the first few reporters permitted access to the training sessions on Wednesday.
The one IRIS-T unit that is now stationed in Ukraine has so far been used to shoot down aircraft, including Shahed drones built in Iran, as well as cruise missiles that Moscow has employed to strike power plants.IRIS-T has hit 51 out of 51 targets, which is a 100% quota for Shahed drones and cruise missiles, according to our air force commander, who indicated a few days ago, according to Anatolii, 36, Kyiv needed at least 12 of the systems.
Berlin has pledged to send a total of four, the first of which is set to arrive in a few weeks and the first of which will be received by the German air force in two years.
The German military has held sizable press conferences to demonstrate how Ukrainian personnel are picking up the skills necessary to operate Leopard 2 tanks, but it has been hesitant to allow access to training on the IRIS-T system developed by German armaments manufacturer Diehl.
"The Russians think IRIS-T will transform the game. It is a contemporary system, although they have long known about the capabilities of Leopard tanks, a German air force officer explained.
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