Ukraine 2022 Prepares Students for War

 “To be prepared for war is one of the most effective means of preserving peace.”

— George Washington

A skirmish in Ukraine 2022.

My son just started high school last week (yes, August 7 is unreasonably early in America). After a carefree summer filled with a few fun road trips, various excursions, and just lounging around, he scrambled to get ready for the early onset of the academic year. What school supplies we didn’t scrounge from around the house or salvage from last year we ran out to purchase, from pencils and erasers to the obligatory new backpack. Sorted out the last-minute bus route schedule and inevitable blunders on the first day. Met a host of teachers at the open house, from the interesting electives my son chose like drama and interior design to more traditional English, science, geometry, and history (with a teacher who enjoys games, no less). He’s not taking any mandatory course to prepare him for combat against a belligerent nation currently invading his. But kids in Ukraine are...using a wargame for part of the course.

Teachers play Ukraine 2022 to prepare
for a nationwide high school course.
(Photo Courtesy of Maibutni
Democratic School)

Various Ukrainian news sources recently reported that the government has revised its mandatory “Defense of Ukraine” program for high school students in the 10th and 11th grades, to begin this fall. Most articles read the same, unsurprising given they’re repeating press material released by the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science (MES). While the previous program covered “military charter studies,” the new course emphasizes a wide range of practical knowledge one might apply in a war zone: marksmanship training, weapons and military equipment, first aid, military technologies like drones, information security, navigation, open source intelligence (OSINT), principles of command and planning, terrain orienteering, engineering fortifications, even methods for protecting civilians in crisis situations. “We aimed to strike a balance,” said Inna Sovsun, a professor and a member of the Ukrainian parliament who championed the revised curriculum. “We didn’t want to militarize children, but as a country at war, we need to ensure our youth have a general understanding of what war entails and how to respond in various circumstances.” Oksen Lisovyi, Minister of Education and Science, also noted, “The curriculum update is aimed at developing important life skills: from first aid to understanding modern technology. We pay special attention to the development of civic consciousness and a system of values that will help our children become responsible members of society.” (I referred primarily to the brief articles from Euromaiden Press and Ukrainska Pravda, linked here for your own reading and evaluation.)

Addendum (Aug. 19, 2024): My last-minute e-mail to the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science finally received a reply from its press office, which I insert into the body of this feature for some official comment and confirmation. “We can confirm that Tom Jensen’s Ukraine 2022 wargame is indeed being used as part of the curriculum for the ‘Defense of Ukraine.’ This game has been utilized to train instructors, and it is also integrated into the program for teaching the ‘Defense of Ukraine’ course for 10th and 11th-grade students,” the press office said. “The game and its algorithm are instrumental in developing planning skills, and decision-making, enhancing the overall effectiveness of these processes, and overall strategic thinking.”

I’ve been exploring this story online the past week ever since a social media post from composer and game designer Tom Jensen noted that educators are using his game, Ukraine 2022, as a tool for the revised “Defense of Ukraine” program. This “Simple and Effective Modern Wargame,” available in PDF from Wargame Vault, simulates current engagements using a set of rules, a DIY map-board, and cardboard chits representing various units. Jensen designed a host of wargames exploring his interests in various periods, including modern combat. “I was lucky enough to be in touch with several military experts who helped me refine the games,” Jensen said. “Some of these guys were amazing and would read through my rules and give me details like ‘This specific missile wasn’t used on Iraqi aircraft until 1983, you have it available from 1982 — please change that.’ Details that require a lot of research to get to.”

After publishing Ukraine 2022 some Ukranian military personnel started playing it and asked Jensen if they could translate it (you can order that version from Wargame Vault as well as an English-language version). He’s used to hearing about people around the world playing his modern wargames; he provided them the game materials gratis for translation. Then the situation took on larger significance. “It was about six months ago I was contacted by a high school teacher in Kyiv who had discovered the game through the Militanyi website and wanted to run the game for his students,” Jensen said. “He had a question about where I got the printed game mat, and so I told him where (Deep Cut Studio) and wished him best of luck and to get in touch with me if he had any questions. I didn’t think much more of it after that.”

Then Ukraine’s Ministry of Education and Science announced it was revising its mandatory “Defense of Ukraine” high school program to provide more practical training for a prolonged war against Russian invaders. And Ukraine 2022 was part of that training. The Maibutni Democratic School posted photos of teachers learning and playing the wargame on its Facebook page, all in preparation for spreading out to schools throughout the country to implement training programs. “At first I was in disbelief,” Jensen said. “I thought it was a small thing where a few schools might play it, but it turned out it would be implemented in all Ukrainian high schools.”

Ukraine 2022

Teachers play Ukraine 2022 to prepare
for a nationwide high school course.
(Photo Courtesy of Maibutni
Democratic School)

I’m not a fan of wargaming current or near-future scenarios, but I bought a copy of Ukraine 2022 anyway to see what it offered in the context of educating young people about combat; besides, proceeds go to support the Odessa Way Home Foundation. At first glance it seems a solid low-complexity game distilling elements of the modern conflict into a set of effective rules combining both the chit-and-hex and miniature wargaming styles. Ukraine 2022 is nowhere near as complex as Advanced Squad Leader, but it’s not an introductory game for complete wargaming neophytes. It helps if readers have some experience with hobby wargames. It’s clear the Ministry of Education and Science has trained teachers — for all aspects of the course — to bring the updated program to schools throughout the country; this includes some basic knowledge and experience with the game from reading and playing it. With enough time and a few practice games anyone familiar with basic game concepts can learn, master, and teach these rules. From what I’ve seen it lives up to its promise as a “Simple and Effective Modern Wargame.”

Reading the game I noticed a few interesting innovations that impressed me. (Caveat: I’ve not yet played the game and this is nothing like a comprehensive review, just a feature highlighting the game’s strong points in the context of its use in training Ukrainian students.)

Turn Limit: Once the rules discuss establishing scenario objectives, it presents a brief but interesting means of determining when a game ends. At the end of the fifth turn a player rolls a die: if it meets or beats an ever-decreasing target number, the game ends. This means engagements last from five to eight turns, or even more if someone keeps rolling ones. This uncertainty in time limit can help drive players to aggressively push their units toward objectives before time runs out. In reality nobody quite knows when either side reaches its limit (in time, resources, or other factors) and calls off an engagement.

Counters: The 1x1.5-inch counters include a host of unit information for easy in-game reference, including three movement rates, weapon types and ranges, and a “situational awareness” rating used to detect targets (even though, using perfect information, unit chits of both opponents remain in clear sight on the table). The game PDF includes several sheets of counters for current Ukrainian and Russian forces, from infantry units and armored fighting vehicles to helicopters and UAVs.

Situational Awareness: Few games take this into account. Although all pieces move around in clear view on the map, a unit must make a check to spot its target before attacking, allowing others friendly units to zero in for attacks as well. The target remains spotted until it moves.

Orders: The game uses a draw system to randomly determine the order in which orders are executed. This method features a few interesting innovations. Each turn the Russian player writes two orders, with the Ukrainian writing only one. They’re pulled from a bag randomly, resolving one before pulling the next. Orders consist of three parts: the units receiving the order; the action itself, primarily Move, Attack, Cautious Advance, Defensive Ambush; and the compass direction in which the action occurs relative to each unit (within a 90-degree arc centered on the direction). This means players must carefully consider which units to activate, as each one noted in an order performs the same action in the same direction (though within that wide arc). “This creates some realistic chaos on the tabletop, as real war is incredibly hard to control,” Jensen said. “In real life, units don’t often know where other units are, and sometimes don’t even know where they are themselves (especially if you’ve lost your map!). And so this orders system brings some more realistic chaos into the mix.”

Ukrainian Advantages: To reflect the less rigid and more adaptable nature of Ukrainian forces, this player acts with a few special rules. First, while only issuing one order per turn, the Ukrainian player gets a “free” order carried out immediately after resolving the sole order they submit. This player can also activate up to two units reserved off-board for an ambush (different than a defensive ambush by units in play), noting where they appear for an attack by measurements estimated from two adjacent sides of the map. “I couldn’t help but want to try to represent the tactics of the Ukrainian forces on the tabletop,” Jensen said. “I am always interested in ‘asymmetrical’ conflicts, where the two sides aren’t even”

Solitaire Rules: A one page system for solitaire play takes advantage of the written order rules. Rather than write orders on separate bits of paper and draw them randomly, a single player uses a six-columned chart to write three orders for each side, rolling for each “draw” and executing the order, crossing it off and issuing a new one beneath it for subsequent turns.

The procedure of writing orders for both opponents’ units and then pulling and implementing them at random seems like it might do a good job simulating the friction of war in a turn-based system representing simultaneous and ever-changing action. Like any good wargame, it seems suitable for a good teacher, perhaps with feedback from students, to easily adjust to better suit the educational mission.

An introductory video at Wargame Vault offers a clear demonstration how the combat system works. Jensen’s also posted a longer video of a sample game offering further instruction and clarification.

Overall Ukraine 2022 seems like just the right level of complexity for me. I’m impressed with may of its system concepts that I’m half-tempted to adapt it to World War II, a historical period that better engages my interest. It does not include any kind of map or board. Ostensibly one could create terrain using the usual props miniature wargamers employ; but one might also use satellite images of terrain or other graphic representations. Jensen recommends terrain mats from Deep Cut Studio, which offers a host of patterns to choose from as well as the ability to custom print submitted images. No doubt teachers in the “Defense of Ukraine” program can draw upon top-down images of real terrain in combat zones as well as Deep Cut Studio’s maps. The game could have used a few more illustrated examples of core game concepts (especially helicopters and UAVs); nothing seasoned wargamers couldn’t figure out, though (and the supplemental videos certainly offer some guidance). Newcomers to modern warfare like myself could have used a glossary of acronyms, though the silhouettes on counters help envision the kind of unit...and curious gamers like myself will inevitably look these up for our own edification.

Training Games for War

Designer Tom Jensen with his
Ukraine 2022 wargame.
(Photo used with permission
of Tom Jensen)

Jensen’s hometown newspaper, the Otago Daily Times, published a short feature about him and Ukraine 2022’s educational use in Ukraine, including some of his views about the ethical implications of high school students using it to prepare for wartime service. “It’s great to see young people getting involved in wargames and amazing to see something I wrote on my living room floor become part of a country’s school system,” Jensen said. “It’s concerning to see teenagers indoctrinated into warfare as part of their school system, but Ukraine is in a pretty dire situation. Any help they can get to be prepared to defend themselves is probably a good thing.”

I reached out to Jensen about this issue and he kindly shared more of his perspective. “I know in any other country you’d have half the parents fighting this initiative tooth and nail,” he said. “If my game can help save lives by giving students an understanding of how a combat environment functions and how different units must work together to accomplish objectives, and the advantages of using terrain and cover, I think that is huge.”

Here at Hobby Games Recce I have occasionally grappled with the morality of playing games about war in missives like “Daddy, Who Are the Bad Guys?” and “Considering Wargaming & Troubled History.” We can choose to play our wargames for recreation. We can choose to look at them and the history they represent thoughtfully, reading and reflecting on the larger picture and the ramifications they have on the world. Games of many kinds are immersive exercises that can help us learn if we’re willing to take some time to examine the experience.

Those in the military and defense establishment employ games of various types — including wargames of a variety used for recreation — for training, analysis, and exploration of future missions. Playing wargames is serious business for emerging defense issues. Take a look at the work by the Center for Naval Analyses (which offers a host of interesting, low-complexity games exploring current issues) and you might get a taste of games even hobbyists can enjoy and teachers can use to explore some of the modern challenges we face, even in peace time.

History has proven the value of using wargames to prepare for and respond to war. American’s defense professionals realize it. And a nation desperate to defend its sovereignty against a foreign aggressor also uses them now to prepare its young people to fight for their future freedom. Part of me wants to jump up and cheer and point: “Look, someone’s using games to teach kids!” Part of me recoils in horror that this seems necessary in the world we currently inhabit. But if the experience of playing and learning from a wargame can help a student survive a future engagement defending their country from aggressors, then perhaps something good could come of it. I’m not upset that Ukraine’s education system uses Ukraine 2022 to train high school students for combat; I’m horrified at the situation that necessitates a nation to quickly and practically prepare its students to defend their country from a military invasion.

The implications of wargames and other training in the “Defense of Ukraine” program go well beyond the moral issues of preparing students for war. It’s clear the Ukrainian government expects this conflict to continue for some time if they’re giving military training to kids with a year or two before they’re even considered for any kind of federal service...let alone marching off to fight the Russians. Those of us in our safe, peaceful countries can play our hobby wargames without worrying too much about the moral ramifications of turning the horrors of actual war into a game. Certainly Ukraine 2022 can help us empathize with the Ukrainian struggle against invading Russian forces, offering a safe glimpse of the kind of engagements raging every day. Americans have the privilege of playing wargames at peace. The people of Ukraine do not.

“Diplomacy is utterly useless where there is no force behind it.”

— Theodore Roosevelt