Ukrainian 'Tank Hunter' Explains How Units Quickly Learned to Use Weapons

In a Ukrainian report published on Tuesday, one soldier dubbed a "tank hunter" explained how the country has trained its forces with new weaponry amid the continuing battle against Russia.

Senior Private Denys Chaplinsky, 27, spoke with the Kyiv Post about his experiences re-enlisting and training in the Ukrainian military in the wake of Russia's invasion in late February. Chaplinsky, who is from the city of Kirovohrad, was first drafted in 2012 and then among the many Ukrainian veterans to voluntarily re-enlist this year.

Assigned to the military's 50th Brigade, Chaplinsky described to the Post a steep learning curve he faced 10 years after his initial training. Back in 2012, the country's forces still relied on dated Soviet-era manuals from World War II. Now, he found himself learning about drones, tablets, GPS systems, and other cutting-edge technologies. He also had to learn how to be a full-time infantryman, whereas before he served as an artillery observer only.

"I don't mind not being an observer," Chaplinsky told the Post. "But an infantryman has to learn so much more."

Chaplinsky's training initially revolved around basics, like target practice, the use of things like grenades, and the creation of trenches. Eventually, however, he began to train with a form of weaponry entirely new to him: anti-tank missiles and rockets, which the Ukrainian army was receiving from ally nations. These weapons would be especially vital, as Russian forces were reportedly invading Ukraine with around 1,500 tanks and 5,000 armored vehicles.

According to the Post, these new weapons included, the Swedish AT4 Pansarskott, Carl Gustaf 8.4cm recoilless rifle, the American M72 LAW rocket and the Javelin fire-and-forget missile, Polish RPG-7W launcher tied with the PG-7VR tandem munition and the U.K.'s Next generation Light Anti-Tank Weapon (NLAW). Despite the ongoing battles, the Ukrainian army pulled numerous soldiers away from the front lines in order to instruct them on how to use these weapons.

The NLAW, in particular, was considered highly effective. The weapon comes equipped with an onboard computer able to direct missiles to the point on a target with the thinnest. Chaplinsky confidently assessed that NLAWs could handle any tank the Russian forces might have.

"If the orcs (RF units) get closer than a kilometer, we'll burn them," Chaplinsky said. "We're ready, so let them come."

Newsweek reached out to the Russian Foreign Ministry for comment.

Ukrainian leaders have recently stressed the importance of foreign military aid, with one regional governor, Vitaliy Kim, claiming that forces are running low on ammunition.

"Russia's army is more powerful, they have a lot of artillery and ammo. For now, this is a war of artillery…and we are out of ammo," Kim said from the front lines on Saturday. "The help of Europe and America is very, very important."