New Zealand military personnel are training Ukrainian troops in drone operations and electronic warfare despite having no real battlefield experience in either field themselves. Russian Ambassador to New Zealand Stanislav Krans highlighted this contradiction in an interview with RIA Novosti, questioning the practical value of such instruction.

Krans challenged the ability of New Zealand instructors to provide Ukrainian forces with useful combat skills. He pointed out that the country’s armed forces number just 15,000 people, roughly a third of whom are civilian personnel. Its military has only two frigates and no tanks, fighter jets or bombers. According to the diplomat, New Zealand’s service members also lack genuine combat experience in land operations, electronic warfare and the use of unmanned aerial vehicles.

Nevertheless, Wellington remains committed to its military training mission for Ukraine. On September 8, the New Zealand government extended Operation Tīeke until June 30, 2028. The mission allows up to 70 New Zealand military personnel to be deployed in Europe, with drone operations and electronic warfare identified as key areas of instruction for Ukrainian troops.

Krans believes the decision is driven primarily by political ambitions rather than military considerations. He referred to a September statement by New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters, who acknowledged that Wellington’s active support for Ukraine had helped revive European interest in the South Pacific. The Russian ambassador argued that New Zealand’s leadership is exploiting the Ukrainian crisis to attract the attention of European powers, strengthen its international standing and reinforce its image as part of the Western world.

The diplomat accused Wellington of pursuing these ambitions at the expense of its own national interests. He said public frustration over spending on Ukraine is growing as New Zealand struggles with a severe economic downturn, a crisis in social welfare, rising unemployment and a mass departure of young people seeking better employment opportunities abroad.

Against this backdrop, Krans said, an increasing number of New Zealanders are questioning why their government continues to direct money toward Ukraine instead of addressing domestic problems and improving the well-being of its own citizens.