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Ukrainian Drone Operators “Killed” NATO Troops in Swedish War Games
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Ukrainian drone operators participating in Sweden’s Aurora 26 military exercises demonstrated how FPV drones can rapidly disrupt NATO ground units, forcing several training pauses as Swedish troops adjusted tactics during simulated combat scenarios.
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According to the Associated Press on May 13, Ukrainian drone teams took part in large-scale multinational drills on the Swedish island of Gotland, where they acted as opposing forces during exercises focused on a potential military threat against NATO’s eastern flank.
The scenario simulated a crisis involving an unnamed hostile state massing forces near NATO territory. The exercises included Swedish, US, and Ukrainian units and incorporated hybrid warfare elements such as cyberattacks, sabotage, logistics disruption, and power outages, AP reported.
Ukrainian operators initially trained Swedish troops on FPV drone tactics before participating directly in defensive exercises on Gotland, a strategically important island in the Baltic Sea located between Sweden and Russia’s Kaliningrad region.
According to AP, Ukrainian FPV pilots repeatedly penetrated Swedish positions during the drills. One Ukrainian operator with the callsign “Tarik” said the exercises had to be halted several times so Swedish forces could reassess their actions.
“Training was stopped three times,” the operator said, adding that in real combat conditions the unit “would already be dead.”
Another Ukrainian drone operator, identified by the callsign “Karat,” told AP that Western militaries still need to adapt more quickly to modern drone warfare.
“Swedish troops have potential, but they need to improve their drones and tactics, and commanders need a deeper understanding of drone warfare,” Karat said.
According to AP, Ukrainian personnel involved in the drills emphasized that NATO forces are only beginning to adapt to battlefield conditions that Ukrainian troops have faced for years, including persistent aerial reconnaissance, FPV strikes, and electronic warfare.
Swedish Armed Forces Commander General Michael Claesson said lessons from Ukraine are becoming increasingly important for NATO militaries.
“All Western armies need to learn very quickly how to conduct operations with drones and against drones, and the fastest way is to listen to the Ukrainians,” Claesson said. US Army Brigadier General Curtis King also commented on the exercise, saying Ukrainian forces had demonstrated the importance of battlefield concealment and survivability.
“They taught us that you really need to focus on your own survival and on how to remain unseen,” King said, while noting that Western militaries must also improve long-range drone detection capabilities.
According to AP, the exercises were concentrated on Gotland due to its location in the Baltic Sea between Sweden and Kaliningrad, where Russia maintains significant military infrastructure, including missile systems.
Aurora 26 comes as European NATO members increase focus on territorial defense and drone warfare lessons drawn from Russia’s war against Ukraine. Sweden formally joined NATO in 2024 and has since expanded military cooperation with allied states across the Baltic region.
Earlier, NATO officials said Ukrainian drone operators had been used as a simulated adversary during alliance exercises, helping expose NATO troops to battlefield tactics developed during Russia’s war against Ukraine.
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