Ukraine's Nemesis Brigade revealed new details of how its drone operators outperformed NATO forces during the Hedgehog 2025 exercises in Estonia, where European armies proved unprepared for modern drone warfare, Oboronka reported. Deputy brigade commander Pavlo Laktionov expressed hope the result would serve as a "cold shower" for European allies, speaking at Ukrainska Pravda's "War 2026: Humans vs Machines" conference.
Four Nemesis soldiers among Ukrainian teams that broke NATO's defenses
The Nemesis team was attached to an Estonian unit under an Estonian officer coordinating the drone component. European forces initially had no idea how to employ a bomber drone crew beyond striking targets, so the Ukrainians volunteered for reconnaissance, logistics, planning, and mine-laying on their own initiative.
"At first, they didn't just not know how to use us — they simply waited for something to happen so we could participate," Laktionov said.
"Like a shooting range"
Working alongside an Estonian Vector reconnaissance drone team — which found targets while Ukrainians struck them — the units jointly spotted a staging area where the attacking force had parked armored vehicles "as if on a parking lot," concealing them under bushes and trees. The defending side, which included Ukrainian crews, then mapped out targets and planned the operation.
"Like a shooting range — we were simulating the destruction of that equipment, choosing what exactly to hit," Laktionov said.
Over three flying days, the Nemesis team carried out 29 sorties: strikes, remote mine-laying, and logistics missions. They were credited with 14 destroyed targets — seven armored vehicles, one tank, three cars, two command posts, and a bridge. Seven sorties went to mining and nine to humanitarian drone deliveries.
Snickers, sleeping bags, and a paper map problem
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Laktionov says the Nemesis crew showed European allies that bomber drones can do far more than drop munitions. NATO snipers deployed in the field had no resupply system, so the Ukrainians offered to deliver Mavic batteries by drone.
"When they figured it out, we kept delivering that sniper team batteries, water, Snickers bars. Then we brought them sleeping bags because they were cold out there," Laktionov said.
Targeting coordination proved equally outdated, according to the officer. NATO officers sent a runner with a paper map to deliver coordinates to the Ukrainian crew, according to the Nemesis officer. After the fourth visit, the Nemesis team refused paper entirely and taught their partners to use Delta, Ukraine's digital battlefield management system.
NATO trained for a past war — Ukraine brought the current one
The attacking force relied on concealing equipment in forests, assuming it would stay hidden. They did not check roads for mines — roads the Ukrainian team had already simulated mining.
Laktionov added that the experience suggests that the Russo-Ukrainian war is shaping new standards of warfare that are reshaping NATO doctrine.
