Danish Defense struggles to monitor lessons from Ukraine conflict, warns Major Søndergaard

The Danish Defense is currently unable to effectively monitor and learn from the ongoing war in Ukraine, according to Major Peter Søndergaard, who works in the Defense Development and Planning Staff. The war in Ukraine, the largest and bloodiest conflict in Europe since World War II, has significantly influenced modern warfare perceptions, yet there is no designated effort within the Danish armed forces to gather insights from this experience.

Søndergaard emphasizes the need for continuous development, noting that without adaptation, Denmark will lag behind when it comes time to confront Russian aggression. Although Danish drone manufacturers have sent thousands of drones and anti-drone equipment to Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022, the Danish military has not made any purchases, leading to criticism from the companies regarding a lack of interest and coordination.

He explains that the defense is understaffed and priorities are elsewhere, such as building the 1st Brigade and integrating new equipment, delaying the adoption of drone technology within the military. Testing, regulation, and internal processes must be established, all of which require significant personnel and time.

Søndergaard critiques the prior defense agreement, which he claims led to a reduction of about 100 positions in the development sector, impacting modern military preparedness. The current disarray means that key personnel to study the lessons from Ukraine haven’t been adequately structured within the Defense.

Major Jacob Alexa, who leads the development unit, acknowledges the interest in monitoring developments in Ukraine but admits that there lacks a systematic approach to consolidate learnings. Both he and Søndergaard hope for increased resources for development in the future but recognize that meaningful changes will take time, with basic needs still unmet.