Polish special forces stage Ukraine-style deep-strike drill in Germany

Polish special forces have begun a new US-designed exercise in Germany based on Ukraine war lessons. The drill reflects NATO's push to adapt covert operations and drone tactics amid rising tensions with Russia.Image used for representational purposes onlyPolish special forces have begun a new exercise in Germany that is designed around lessons from Ukraine's war with Russia, including moving through enemy lines, travelling deep inside hostile territory and carrying out a drone strike on a key target. The drill, created only months ago by the US Army's Green Berets for American special forces, is being attempted for the first time by a NATO ally.The exercise began on Friday as tensions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and NATO countries have risen. It also underlines how parts of the US military, its NATO allies and Ukraine are studying modern drone warfare, even as the Trump administration has raised questions over US troop levels in Europe and launched a review of future force plans.On a moonless, rainy night, a group of soldiers emerged from a run-down building meant to resemble a church and quietly moved towards the tree line in the German countryside. The soldiers were members of the Polish special forces, taking part in a scenario shaped by many of the problems Ukrainian troops have faced in the conflict with Russia."We're using lessons learned from Ukraine," an Army Green Beret officer assigned to the training complex said on Thursday. "All of those effects that we're seeing either Russia or Ukraine having to overcome - we're doing our best to replicate." The Associated Press was given rare access to the training ground and the troops taking part in the exercise, which has previously been conducted only twice this year by two different Green Beret teams. A senior enlisted soldier familiar with the scenario at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels said the plan is to hold the exercise several times a year. He said he expected most, if not all, of NATO's 32 member countries to show interest in sending troops for the training. He and the Green Beret officer spoke on condition of anonymity in line with the US military's policy of not publicly identifying individual members of special forces units.The multi-day exercise is spread across a 1,100-square-mile plot in the Bavarian countryside. In the scenario, Polish troops must slip past a US Army airborne infantry unit acting as the enemy after parachuting into the closed training area at Hohenfels and setting up a front line. If the Polish forces get through, they must then move north through about 60 miles of German countryside to another training area in Grafenwoehr, where they are expected to destroy a simulated target. Along the way are German farms and villages, private and government cameras, and a city with a large population, all of which increase the chances of the team being detected. The senior enlisted soldier said that in earlier versions of the exercise, Army Green Berets removed their uniforms "so they can blend in", adding that "blend in also means don't get seen by civilians." Civilians in the area are largely unaware of the exercise, and any report of suspicious people to the police would be passed back to the military and used to track the team. "This is supposed to be Russia and you're going to stand out in Russia," the enlisted soldier said.The challenge does not end there. The US Army will also try to find the Polish forces with drones of its own. If they are spotted, "now you have the entire Russian arsenal coming at you," the enlisted soldier said. The Army can send a military police unit with dogs to hunt them down or direct more drones to the area. In earlier versions of the exercise, the US Army had access to more than 100 drones, he said. Troops can be "captured or killed" as part of the training.The exercise comes at a time when military interest in Ukraine's drone warfare experience is growing, even if the broader message from Washington has at times been mixed. President Donald Trump has caused uncertainty among NATO allies by shifting his position on reducing US troop levels in Europe, and his administration has launched a force review. Last week, the Army's top officer also shut down a unit that specialised in drone warfare. Even so, in March, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Ukraine was helping five countries in the Middle East and Gulf region counter Iranian drone attacks launched during the war with the United States, while the US and European countries were among those seeking support.The wider security backdrop has also sharpened attention on the exercise. The Wall Street Journal reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe went to Moscow this week to warn Russia not to attack NATO countries. Three Western officials, speaking on condition of anonymity on Friday to discuss sensitive military matters, said Russia has the appetite for sabotage and cyberattacks against NATO countries, but that Putin wants to avoid a direct confrontation. At the same time, reports of mysterious drone incidents in Europe have increased, including this month when two drones were seen over a German military base and a drone carrying explosives was found at a major cargo airport in Germany.Overall, the drill in Germany brings together several strands of the current security picture: NATO's effort to prepare for possible future Russian action, the growing role of drones in warfare, and the attempt to apply battlefield lessons from Ukraine to special forces operations.With PTI Inputs- EndsPublished By: India Today Web Desk Published On: Aug 31, 2026 07:54 IST