Ukrainian maritime drones highlighted the vulnerability of NATO forces during exercises
During the REPMUS Dynamic Messenger 2025 exercises, a multinational naval group led by Ukraine acted as the simulated adversary. According to a Ukrainian participant, in five scenarios involving the defence of ports and convoys, as well as attacks on them, the ‘reds’ defeated NATO forces, reports the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
Ukrainian Magura V7 naval drones were used in the exercises. These are high-speed unmanned boats capable of attacking ships by ramming or using mounted weaponry. The Ukrainian military deployed such drones with various equipment, including reconnaissance gear, explosive charges and machine guns.
Under the rules of the exercises, no actual targets were hit. Success was attributed to the side that first locked onto the enemy, as confirmed by video footage. If a ship’s crew managed to spot the drone first, it was considered intercepted.
Dozens of units took part in the scenarios, including aircraft and warships. At the conclusion of the exercises, the ‘red’ side emerged victorious.
According to a source, the exercises demonstrated that unmanned systems, combined with combat experience and planning, pose a threat to NATO’s naval forces. In one scenario, during a simulated attack on a convoy, so many ‘hits’ were recorded on a frigate that, under real-world conditions, it would have sunk.
NATO noted that this was the first time the Ukrainian Navy had led and coordinated the actions of a simulated adversary within the framework of Alliance exercises. A NATO representative described this as a historic milestone reflecting Ukraine’s growing role.
Brussels also emphasised that Ukraine’s combat experience had been incorporated into the exercises, contributing to the development of new approaches and tactics.
Earlier, in the autumn, during the Hedgehog exercises in Estonia, Ukrainian drone specialists managed to disable two NATO battalions. Brussels noted at the time that allied forces were insufficiently prepared for modern warfare involving the use of drones.
