The international delegation, headed by Ana Lucía Bueno, ICRC Public Health Coordinator, and Sujit Panda, Head of the Physical Rehabilitation…
Ukrainian service members are demonstrating resilience and innovation in their fight against the Russian army, sharing their experience with Western partners.
This was stated by General Alexus Grynkewich, Supreme Allied Commander Europe NATO, during a briefing in Brussels.
“As you know, the war in Ukraine is already in its fifth year, and the Armed Forces of Ukraine continue to demonstrate extraordinary resilience and innovation. They continue to share their battle-tested experience with us, particularly regarding countermeasures against Russian and Iranian drones and missiles,” Alexus Grynkewich said.
Recently, Ukrainian National Guardsmen participated in the international Aurora 2026 exercises in Sweden, where our UAV operators trained partners in modern drone operations.
During the maneuvers, they worked alongside the Swedish military, sharing practical combat experience and demonstrating modern approaches to utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles in combat. The organizers had to halt the exercises three times because the Ukrainians, acting as the simulated aggressor, rapidly breached the Swedish military’s defenses.
The Commander of the Swedish Army, General Michael Claesson, noted that all Western armies need to learn rapidly about UAV operations as well as countering enemy drones, and “the fastest way is to listen to the Ukrainians.”
Operators from the Ukrainian Defense Forces have previously participated in NATO exercises, demonstrating their proficiency and experience in modern drone warfare.
Last year, more than 16,000 troops from 12 NATO countries trained alongside Ukrainian drone pilots in the Hedgehog 2025 exercises. During those maneuvers, the combined Ukrainian-Estonian opposing forces “managed to destroy two battalions in a single day” and “wiped out” 17 pieces of armored equipment while conducting 30 successful “strikes” on other targets in approximately half a day.
