A printed A3 map, small cardboard squares to represent Russian or Ukrainian battalions, and resource points to accumulate… L’Express tried its hand at a “war game” simulating the war in Ukraine in the space of an afternoon. “In war, you need to know one thing: you always have to throw big dice,” says Antoine Bourguilleau, smiling, head of the “War Game” unit at the CDEC (Command Doctrine and Education Center) of the Land Force. After reading the rules, the belligerents of the day toss a coin and choose their side. Héloise Fayet, researcher at Ifri, will wear the Russian army uniform. Clément Daniez, journalist for the World service of L’Express, will try to defeat the invader.
“It’s a game that simulates the war in Ukraine from a strategic point of view, where you have to be attentive to logistics and the allocation of resources” continues Antoine Bourguilleau, who also specifies that the vocation of a war game is more about sparking discussions, and exploring all the hypotheses, than defeating your opponent. An exercise increasingly practiced by Western general staffs, but also by the Ukrainian army since the start of the Russian invasion. Relive this experience on video in our long format, available here and on our YouTube channel.