Darwin troops reunite with family after Operation Kudu mission

Darwin troops have returned home and reunited with their families after a three-month stint in the UK to train the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

The second contingent of about 70 Darwin soldiers has reunited with their families after a three-month stint in the UK to train the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Operation Kudu joined the UK-led mission earlier this year alongside Canada, New Zealand, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Lithuania and The Netherlands.

The partnership has trained about 17,000 Ukrainian troops in infantry skills and tactics to date and is on track to prep another 20,000 in the coming year.

Danial Grieve greets his loved ones after arriving at RAAF Base Darwin following a deployment to the UK on Operation Kudu. Picture: Annie Richardson

With his daughter held against him and his son proudly donning an army hat, Sergeant Danial Grieve said the language barrier was the biggest friction point throughout the deployment.

“Trying to impart your knowledge on to someone who doesn’t speak English as a first language was definitely difficult,” he said.

“Working through an interpreter was definitely a new experience for me.”

An Australian Army soldier instructs a Ukrainian recruit on how to search a casualty with a suspected booby trap during the first rotation of Operation Kudu in the United Kingdom. A simulated booby trap for training purposes was used.

Major Samuel Hand said the contingent was responsible for delivering a five-week training package to the Ukrainian troops during their three-month deployment.

“Over the course of that package, we progressed through four phases,” he said.

“First phase is weapons and then an introductory field exercise. We then move into some counter-explosive training, medical training, and then a secondary exercise to confirm that they’re learning from the first one.

“We jump through two significant exercises, being the trench exercise and an urban exercise.

“With that completed, the final phase is a live-fire-range package which culminates in a live-fire attack and defence.”

Major Hand said the morale and drive of the Ukrainian forces was “commendable”.