Ukrainian troops defeated opponent with drones at 2025 NATO exercise – WSJ

During military exercises in Estonia in spring 2025, a group of Ukrainian drone operators demonstrated that drones and battlefield analysis systems are changing the approach to modern warfare.

Source: an opinion piece by Jillian Kay Melchior for The Wall Street Journal

Details: The article describes the Hedgehog 2025 exercise, which involved more than 16,000 service members from 12 NATO countries. Ukrainian drone experts also trained alongside them, including soldiers deployed from the front.

Quote: "In Ukraine the front line is largely frozen, but Hedgehog envisioned a battlefield where tanks and troops still have some ability to move. During one scenario, a battle group of several thousand troops, including a British brigade and an Estonian division, sought to conduct an attack. As they advanced, they failed to account for how drones have made the battlefield more transparent, several sources say.

The NATO battle group was 'just walking around, not using any kind of disguise, parking tents and armored vehicles', recalls one participant, who played an enemy role. 'It was all destroyed'."

Details: Melchior notes that during the exercise Ukrainian personnel used the Delta system, which gathers battlefield intelligence in real time, analyses it, identifies targets and coordinates strikes between command and units.

Quote: "A single team of some 10 Ukrainians, acting as the adversary, counterattacked the NATO forces. In about half a day they mock-destroyed 17 armored vehicles and conducted 30 'strikes' on other targets."

Details: One participant stated that the team managed to "eliminate two battalions in a day".

"Still, Hedgehog showed how visible the battlefield has become – and how vulnerable that makes anyone or anything moving on it. NATO will need to adjust its tactics and find better ways to protect its tanks and armoured vehicles," Melchior concluded.

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