Exercises: Ukrainian operators "smashed" an American armored brigade

Ukrainian drone operators from the 412th Separate Unmanned Systems Brigade “Nemesis” demonstrated to U.S. forces how much the modern battlefield has changed. During the Combined Resolve exercises in Germany, Ukrainian drone crews were “destroying” U.S. armored vehicles so quickly in the simulated scenarios that organizers had to return already-eliminated vehicles back into the scenario for the training to continue.

On August 12, 2026, this was reported by The Wall Street Journal.

The Combined Resolve exercises took place at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center training area in Hohenfels, Germany, from April 9 to May 10, 2026. According to official U.S. Army information, more than 3,800 service members participated overall, and the main unit under evaluation was the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the U.S. 1st Cavalry Division.

According to The Wall Street Journal, the American contingent numbered about 3,500 troops, most of whom represented that armored brigade from Fort Hood in Texas. Their task was to advance on positions of a simulated enemy, which were further reinforced by Ukrainian Nemesis operators.

Ukrainian forces used experience gained during years of the full-scale war with Russia. Heavy U.S. armored vehicles kicked up large dust clouds while moving that were clearly visible from the air. Reconnaissance drones quickly located columns and individual vehicles, after which FPV drones and unmanned systems simulating ordnance drops were directed at the targets.

This was specifically simulated “destruction”: live munitions were not used in such episodes. A drone was to approach a vehicle or hover over it close enough for observers to count the equipment as hit.

However, the Ukrainians did this so quickly that, according to The Wall Street Journal’s interlocutors, American equipment had to be “revived” and reintroduced into the fight as new units. Otherwise a significant portion of forces would be removed from the scenario too quickly and the exercise would lose its purpose.

At the same time, the American armored brigade was not defenseless. It had organic electronic warfare capabilities and counter-drone systems. Nevertheless, at the initial stage of the exercises this proved insufficient against the tactics of the Ukrainian operators.

Scenarios were repeated for roughly two weeks, and gradually U.S. forces began to adapt. They dispersed their armored vehicles more effectively, paid more attention to camouflage, and made better use of EW measures. As a result, their performance noticeably improved.

Later the Ukrainian operators switched sides. Nemesis specialists began assisting U.S. units during offensive operations, teaching them how to more effectively integrate drones into their own battle formations. According to the WSJ, after that U.S. forces made much better use of drones in attack operations.

The exercises demonstrated the key advantage of the Ukrainian units — not so much the presence of particular drone models, but the huge practical experience in their use. Ukrainian forces constantly repair, reconfigure, equip, and retune drones in field conditions according to changes in Russian EW systems and the frontline situation. For many U.S. operators, such intensity of small-drone employment remains relatively new experience.

The U.S. Army itself defines Combined Resolve as a series of exercises during which a whole brigade’s ability to operate in a complex multidomain combat environment is assessed. The training center in Hohenfels specifically creates the most difficult conditions for units in order to identify weaknesses on the training ground rather than during actual combat operations.

For the 412th Nemesis Brigade, working with various types of unmanned systems is a primary specialization. According to the Forces of Unmanned Systems of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the unit engages ground, air, and maritime targets at tactical and operational depths.

At the same time, the result of Combined Resolve does not mean that the American armored brigade was actually “destroyed” by the Ukrainians. This was a training fight whose main goal was to reveal shortcomings, adapt tactics, and teach personnel to operate under conditions of mass small-drone employment. That is how the U.S. Army officially describes the purpose of these exercises.

Earlier we wrote:

• Ukrzaliznytsia changes routes in the east for security reasons
• Ukrzaliznytsia deploys protective structures against FPV drones at frontline stations
• Passenger trains back in the crosshairs: the enemy attacked rolling stock in Mykolaiv region
• One drone — and dozens of potential victims: Ukrainians warned about deadly danger on trains
• Alarm on the road: Ukrzaliznytsia changes rules — what passengers should do now