By Olha Hembik | 2025-10-17

A wooden board carved with a Viking and runes marks the entrance to Camp Jomsborg, a Norwegian training site for Ukrainian troops.

The camp, set in a forest in southeastern Poland, is one of Norway's largest operations abroad. It is named after a Viking stronghold once located in what is now Poland.

Norwegian broadcaster NRK reported on September 15 that the first Ukrainian soldiers have arrived. The site's exact location has not been disclosed for security reasons.

The program targets Ukrainian commanders at the squad, platoon and company levels. Instructors are training them in combat survival, military leadership and the use of NATO-supplied weapons. Sessions also emphasize resilience under combat stress.

The training will continue through the end of the year. Ukrainian forces have previously trained in Norway and in Germany, where the program was conducted jointly with the United States.

Vital skills

Camp Jomsborg is part of Operation Legio, launched in winter 2024. Norway leads the effort, with Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland also participating. The mission includes transferring weapons and equipment to Ukraine.

"A location in Poland was found that is sufficiently close to the war zone for the trained soldiers to take part efficiently in subsequent rotation exercises," Brigadier Atle Molde, commander of Operation Legio, said in September, as cited by Polskie Radio.

Legio is Norway's first overseas campaign and falls under Operation Ellisiv, the Armed Forces' broader mission in support of Ukraine.

Arnstein Tranøy, a veteran and founder of Norsk Ukrainestøtte, said Ukrainians, despite their battlefield experience, benefit from training that emphasizes leadership and teamwork.

"Our most experienced soldiers are at the new camp," he told Kontur.

Instructors from Poland, the Baltic states and other NATO members are expected to join the mission soon.

A safe place

Camp Jomsborg's security is considered essential for effective training, free from the constant threat of Russian drone strikes that hampered instruction inside Ukraine.

Molde said Moscow "would very much like to find out what is happening in our camp."

Military analyst Mykhaylo Zhyrokhov said Ukraine should make full use of training abroad.

"It's very important that such training not happen at our training grounds, which the Russians can hit with a missile," he told Kontur.

Zhyrokhov cited the examples of the Russian strikes on the Goncharovsky training ground on July 29 and on the Ukrainian Armed Forces training center in Desna on May 17, 2022, which took lives of dozens of military personnel.

"It's important to simply get to a safe place," said Tranøy.

Zhyrokhov called moving camps closer to Ukraine's border a smart logistical step.

"Obviously, this should have been done back in 2022 to avoid bringing Ukrainian military personnel halfway across Europe to Norway or Sweden," he noted.

A test of readiness

Camp Jomsborg's organizers say the training benefits both sides. Ukrainian troops are expected to share frontline lessons with NATO instructors, who in turn provide technical and tactical expertise.

Zhyrokhov noted that European forces have experience in peacekeeping missions in Afghanistan, Iraq and Africa, but little direct combat.

"It doesn't have the kind of combat experience that the Ukrainian army has had since 2022," he said, adding that battle-tested Ukrainians most need instruction on operating specific Western weapons systems.

For basic officer training, he argued, Ukrainians should attend European military schools. The exchange strengthens NATO forces with combat insight and gives Ukraine access to advanced technology and allied support.

Mikhailo Strelnikov, founder of the Museum of Victory over Despotism in Poland, said Ukraine's military has much to teach its NATO counterparts.

"Today, the Ukrainian army is considered one of the strongest in the world," he told Kontur, noting its innovations in drones and new combat systems.

He described the conflict as a "war of drones and novel solutions" that requires fresh tactics, pointing to a September 10 drone attack on Poland as an example of the evolving battlefield.

Strelnikov cited how one Ukrainian brigade adapted the Grad multiple rocket launcher by dividing its 40 barrels into smaller sets mounted on jeeps, creating mobile units that could fire and quickly relocate.

He said traditional Grad rocket launchers leave smoke trails visible for kilometers, making them easy targets. Ukrainian forces adapted by splitting the launchers into smaller sets mounted on jeeps, allowing them to fire and move quickly.

"In other words, Ukrainians are already doing things that Europe still has a long way to get to," Strelnikov said.

He added that sharing such innovations at allied camps could strengthen joint security and test Europe's readiness for real combat.