Ukrainian drone operators invited to NATO exercises on the Swedish island of Gotland “eliminated” the Swedish troops opposing them during the drills.

This was reported by The Associated Press.

As part of the military exercise, Ukrainian servicemembers had the opportunity to demonstrate the combat experience they have gained during the war against Russia and show why Ukraine could become a valuable member of NATO.

Exercises Halted Due to Ukrainian Superiority

“A group of Ukrainian drone pilots invited to teach Western militaries how to fight and win a drone war overwhelmed Swedish forces during exercises in which the Ukrainians played the role of the aggressor,” the report states.

“They stopped the exercise three times,” 24-year-old Ukrainian drone operator with the callsign “Tarik” told reporters. During the pauses, the opposing force was able to rethink its tactics, but in a real combat situation, they would have been dead, he said.

Another pilot, known by the callsign “Karat,” noted: “The Swedish military has potential, but it needs to improve both its drones and its tactics, while commanders require a deeper understanding of drone warfare.”

 

He described how FPV drones are employed on the front line against Russian troops:

“Sometimes FPV pilots are supported by reconnaissance drone teams, but sometimes they operate blindly. Western militaries cannot fully understand what that is like. You have to see it with your own eyes.”

Ukrainian Experience for NATO

Swedish Army Commander General Michael Claesson stressed that all Western militaries must rapidly learn how to conduct drone operations and counter hostile UAVs, adding that “the fastest way is to listen to the Ukrainians.”

The exercise scenario, in which the Swedish island of Gotland theoretically faces power outages and food shortages caused by sabotage, was designed to test what measures NATO members could take before invoking Article 5 collective defense provisions.

“In theory, this could happen tomorrow,” said Rear Admiral Jonas Wikström, who directed the exercise.

The drills focused on Gotland because of its strategic location in the Baltic Sea between Russia’s exclave of Kaliningrad, where Moscow has deployed missiles, and mainland Sweden.

“If you control Gotland, you effectively control the central Baltic Sea,” General Claesson said.

Not the First Time Ukrainians Have Outperformed NATO Forces

This is not the first occasion on which Ukrainian Defense Forces drone operators have participated in NATO exercises and demonstrated their expertise in modern drone warfare.

Last year, more than 16,000 troops from 12 NATO countries took part in the Hedgehog-2025 exercise, training alongside Ukrainian drone operators.

The joint Ukrainian-Estonian opposing force reportedly “destroyed two battalions in a single day” and, within roughly half a day, “eliminated” 17 armored vehicles while carrying out 30 additional strikes on other targets.

According to a UAV platoon commander from the 412th Nemesis Brigade who participated in those drills, the exercises revealed that NATO militaries still do not fully understand the threat posed by drones or how to respond to it on the battlefield.

The AP report does not specify which Ukrainian units participated in the Swedish exercise. However, Ukraine’s National Guard recently announced that Ukrainian guardsmen took part in Aurora 2026 exercises in Sweden, where UAV operators trained partner forces in modern drone operations.

On May 7, the Swedish Armed Forces published a video on X highlighting the participation of Ukrainian drone operators in the exercise.

According to the press service of the 1st Corps of the National Guard of Ukraine “Azov,” representatives of the corps headquarters as well as UAV crews from the Burevii and Liubart brigades participated in Aurora 2026 as part of the OPFOR (Opposing Force).

The crews operated their own reconnaissance UAVs and FPV drones, demonstrating modern high-intensity warfare tactics. Due to the effectiveness of the FPV operators, exercise organizers adjusted scenarios and planning several times throughout the drills.