‘Excruciating’: War in Ukraine hits close to home for Canadian military trainers

Canada first established a military training mission, dubbed Operation Unifier, in Ukraine in 2015 in direct response to Russia's annexation of the Crimean Peninsula.

Lt.-Col. Sarah Heer says it is absolutely “excruciating” watching from afar as friends and comrades that she helped train in the Ukrainian military a year ago are now forced to fight for their country.

Heer finished her run as commander of Canada’s military training mission in Ukraine last winter and is now back in Canada. But despite the physical distance, the conflict feels very close for her and hundreds of other Canadian soldiers who have served there in recent years.

“It’s very difficult because part of our role in Ukraine was to form relationships, that’s how we build trust.” Heer said in an interview.

“We’re not just watching people we’ve worked with. We’re watching our friends go through this.”

She said everyone who worked in Ukraine is concerned about friends and allies now fighting, and is doing their best to encourage them while watching with a mix of both fear and pride.

“It’s just so inspiring,” she says. “It’s difficult. It’s excruciating and difficult to watch what’s happening. But I do think that all Canadian Armed Forces soldiers can also be motivated and inspired by what they’re seeing in Ukraine.”

Canada first established a military training mission, dubbed Operation Unifier, in Ukraine in 2015. The move was in direct response to Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula and its provision of weapons, ammunition and even troops to pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine.

The purpose of the mission, which evolved several times before being suspended ahead of Russia’s invasion, was to help Ukraine transform its post-Soviet military into a modern fighting force capable of defending the country.