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Automatically translated version. May contain inaccuracies compared to the original.
During large-scale military exercises in Germany at the beginning of 2026, American servicemen encountered Ukrainian drone operators. The results of these maneuvers were extremely disheartening for the U.S. Army and demonstrated that the American armed forces have not yet fully learned the lessons of the modern war between Russia and Ukraine.
According to the authoritative The Wall Street Journal.
How Ukraine "destroyed" the United States in training
The exercises, code-named Combined Resolve 26-07, took place from 9 April to 10 May 2026 of the year.
According to an official press release on the U.S. Army website, the main arena of events was the Joint Multinational Readiness Center (JMRC) at the National Training Center in Hohenfels, Germany. About 3500 American service members participated. The main striking force from the United States was the 3-troop armored brigade combat team Greywolf 1 of the 1st Cavalry Division, based at Fort Cavazos, Texas. This brigade was just completing its nine-month rotation in Europe.
The mission of the American troops was to attack positions defended by the Opposing Force (OPFOR). The latter were significantly reinforced by Ukrainian forces from the Nemesis unmanned system unit.
During the advance, heavy American armored vehicles rose through thick clouds of dust, making them an ideal and easy target for Ukrainian reconnaissance drones. Behind the scouts immediately followed drones dropping explosives and FPV kamikaze drones that in real combat would crash into the target.
Since such exercises rarely use live munitions, the drones simply hovered over the equipment or approached closely enough for observers to count a "kill."
Ukrainian operators did this so quickly and efficiently that American equipment had to be constantly brought back into play as new units, or "respawned," so the training could continue at all.
In the end, according to participants and U.S. officials, Ukrainian operators completely eliminated the American armored brigade.
Incidentally, the Nemesis brigade's effectiveness is confirmed not only on training ranges but also in real combat conditions. In July 2026, the brigade conducted a large-scale operation "Logistical Lockdown," destroying or damaging about 500 pieces of Russian military equipment and 400 motorcycles and quads. For deep-penetration strikes at distances over 200 kilometers, the latest drones "Hornet" and "Morrigan" are used.
Moreover, since July 6 of 2026, the SBS jointly with the SBU launched an unprecedented operation "MoLoChKa." Its aim is the destruction of the Russian "shadow fleet" in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov using sea and air kamikaze drones from Fire Point.
As of 9 August 2026, 218 ships were struck, reducing the capacity of the Kerch Strait crossing by 75%. During nighttime strikes on 8 August, drones also hit the Russian S-400 "Triumf" air defense system in Gelendzhik, as well as the Tor and Pantsir-S1 systems.
What did the exercises show about U.S. tactics?
Despite the initial rout, the Combined Resolve exercises aim precisely to identify weaknesses. They are conducted within the U.S. Army concept of "Continuous Transformation" or "Transformation in Contact" (TiC), which foresees rapid integration of commercial technologies directly into combat units.
The American forces, equipped with standard electronic warfare and drone countermeasures systems, learned quickly. Over the two-week scenario, the U.S. restarted the training. Rotational forces improved their performance, learning to disperse more effectively, conceal themselves, and employ EW. In the middle of the exercises, Ukrainians even switched to the American side, helping them effectively use drones in an assault.
This experience is critically important for the United States, given its losses in the Middle East. This year American troops faced difficulties defending against Iranian long-range drones that killed and wounded soldiers and destroyed aircraft. Elliott Cohen, a scholar at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, noted that recent combat experience shows how important drones of all kinds are for modern warfare.
"It is vital that American soldiers master this, and so far, unfortunately, it seems that this is not the case," he emphasized.
Ukrainian military experts, including former Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, argue that drone technology has made traditional maneuver warfare currently impractical, which explains the static front line in eastern Ukraine. Ukraine is destroying so much armored equipment that large sections of the front are left almost without it. The German training showed that the U.S. will also face huge problems protecting its armor while in motion.
What was known before?
Cooperation between the U.S. and Ukraine in the unmanned systems sphere only strengthens. As early as 2023, a U.S. infantry officer who helped train Ukrainians developed a training program using drones for the U.S. Army. Despite difficult political relations, the administration of President Donald Trump was actively studying Ukrainian experience. U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper stated to senators in May that he increased the number of U.S. personnel sent to Ukraine to study drone warfare. The United States is now testing Ukrainian drones for possible procurement and uses proven in-Ukraine counter-UAS systems to protect its forces in Iran.
The U.S. Army is not the first to feel the power of Ukrainian operators. For example, in May 2025, Ukrainian drones easily "sank" a NATO frigate.
And in spring 2026, Swedish forces conducted NATO exercises with allies where Ukrainian drone teams again outperformed them.
Document: PDF proof of the original version of the news item "Україна "розгромила" бронетанкову дивізію США на навчаннях у Німеччині". It records the publication content at the moment of the first scan, the preservation date and the source: Channel 24.
