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Without Drones, It’s Not Modern War: How Ukraine’s Frontline Troops Rewrite NATO Drills

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Photo of Vlad Litnarovych
Vlad Litnarovych
News Writer
Soldiers from the “Black Sky” battalion of the Spartan brigade look at an agricultural drone, transformed into a front-line delivery cargo, at an undisclosed location in the region of Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, on June 14, 2025. (Source: Getty Images)
Soldiers from the “Black Sky” battalion of the Spartan brigade look at an agricultural drone, transformed into a front-line delivery cargo, at an undisclosed location in the region of Dnipropetrovsk, Ukraine, on June 14, 2025. (Source: Getty Images)

Ukrainian troops training in NATO countries are helping reshape military instruction by sharing frontline experience from the drone-dominated battlefields of Ukraine, according to a report by BBC-Ukraine on November 17.

While some training centers in Poland and Czechia still rely on manuals from the Iraq and Afghanistan eras—before drones revolutionized warfare—Ukrainian soldiers are bringing that transformation directly into the classroom.

“Could we remove the Mavics? You’re spotting us too quickly,” a Czech instructor asked during one training session, after Ukrainian troops equipped with DJI Mavic drones easily exposed mock assaults.

The Ukrainians replied: “If you take away the drones, it’s not modern war anymore—it’s a reenactment.”

Ukrainian marines and drone operators from the Kharkiv and Donetsk fronts are increasingly involved in demonstrating the realities of high-risk movement under constant drone surveillance.

They say that traditional tactics like driving armored vehicles directly to trenches are no longer viable.

Some programs still teach orientation using paper maps, while modern Ukrainian units operate exclusively with tablets and digital systems.

Medical training also needed a serious update: NATO’s “golden hour ” evacuation principle doesn’t reflect conditions on Ukraine’s front lines, where wounded troops may lie exposed for a full day under enemy drones.

Instead of pushing back, NATO instructors are showing growing interest. Ukraine’s troops are now actively contributing to drone warfare training—including at Poland’s newly opened “Jomsborg” UAV training center, built with Norwegian support.

Ukrainian instructors now help develop entire course modules, introducing FPV drone tactics, thermal camouflage, and adapted infantry movement.

Earlier, military medics from the Ukrainian organization TacMed Ukraine conducted an intensive training course in Lithuania on providing first aid in tactical conditions.

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The “golden hour” evacuation principle is a guideline that emphasizes the critical importance of getting a trauma victim to definitive medical care within the first 60 minutes of an injury to maximize their chances of survival.

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