OTTAWA –
The latest commander of Canada’s military training mission in Ukraine says the fact that Russia has sanctioned him and several of his predecessors, along with dozens of other prominent Canadians, is proof that the mission has had an impact.
Lt. Col. Luke-Frederick Gilbert is one of six former commanders of a training mission known as Operation Unifier, sanctioned by Russia last week after Moscow added 61 Canadians to the list of those now barred from entering the country.
“I am really proud of what we have achieved,” Gilbert told The Canadian Press in an interview when asked about his inclusion on Russia’s list of sanctioned Canadians. “And that’s a big measure of effectiveness.”
Other sanctioned former commanders of Operation Unifier included a lieutenant colonel. Sarah Hare and Lt. Col. Melanie Lake, who also described the addition of six senior Canadian officers as a sign of mission value.
Canada first launched Operation Unifier in 2015. The move was a direct response to Russia’s annexation of the Crimean peninsula and the provision of weapons, ammunition and even troops to pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.
The mission, which evolved several times before being halted before Russia’s invasion, was to help Ukraine transform its post-Soviet military into a modern fighting force capable of defending the country.
The federal government says more than 33,000 Ukrainian troops were trained by Canada before the mission was halted less than two weeks before Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February.
Gilbert was on the ground when an order came from Ottawa for his 250 troops to assemble and leave Ukraine for Poland before the Russian attack. He says that although he understood the order to leave, it was “a little strange for us”.
“After we moved to Poland, here’s where we went: ‘This just happened,'” Gilbert recalled. “The feeling is a little strange for us because it’s against our nature … We are trained (to fight), we don’t have to leave in such situations.”
Canada and its allies said before Russia’s invasion that they would not deploy troops in Ukraine, fearing that such a move would escalate the conflict and lead to a full-scale war between Russia and NATO’s military alliance. Instead, Western countries are providing financial and military support to Ukraine and imposing sanctions on Russia.
While planning to withdraw Canadian troops began in November, when Russia first gathered thousands of troops on the border with Ukraine, Gilbert said it was not until late January that everyone realized the threat was real.
Even then, however, there was uncertainty. Gilbert recalled his last meeting with a Ukrainian military man before leaving the country in mid-February, when the commander of the Ukrainian National Guard rejected the threat of a Russian attack.
“He said, ‘I’ll see you soon, because it’s not going to happen,'” Gilbert said. “At that moment, I was convinced that something would happen. He was still convinced that this would not really happen. “Unfortunately, I was right.”
Gilbert and his troops spent about a month in Poland, during which time they finished packing in preparation for a possible return to Canada. They were also put on standby in case they were needed to provide humanitarian or other assistance.
All of Gilbert’s trainees have since returned to Canada, although another group of 150 members of the Canadian Armed Forces recently returned to Poland to help some of the millions of Ukrainians fleeing the Russian invasion.
Gilbert himself is now returning to the Valkartier Canadian base, where he commands five combat engineering regiments.
Former Unifier commanders have suggested that the Canadian mission has helped the Ukrainian military become more agile by providing information and trusting those downstream and making decisions.
This allowed the Ukrainians to defend themselves on many fronts and to act in ways that the Russians did not expect, including by deploying small teams that were instrumental in destroying tanks and other Russian forces.
Gilbert agreed with this assessment, saying that while Operation Unifier also provides sniper training and other specialized instructions, “small unit tactics are the most powerful demonstration” of Canada’s contribution.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on April 24, 2022.
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