Hedgehog 2025 saw a Ukrainian team using the AI-enabled Delta system rout a NATO battle group that included a British brigade. The 10-person opposing force mock-destroyed 17 armoured vehicles and staged 30 strikes in half a day, demonstrating how strike drones and battlefield AI can reshape land warfare. The exercise has accelerated European drone procurement and comes as fresh diplomatic efforts toward peace are under way.
Ukrainian Team 'Destroyed' British Brigade' in NATO Wargame — Drones and AI Dominate the Scenario
Thousands of soldiers from 12 Nato countries participated in the wargame - AS1 Mark Dollard/Ministry of Defence
A Ukrainian team acting as an opposing force routed a NATO battle group that included a British brigade during Hedgehog 2025, a large-scale exercise in Estonia that emphasised drones, battlefield AI and contested, fast-moving operations.
The exercise involved more than 16,000 troops from 12 NATO countries and was designed to create early, high-stress battlefield conditions rather than the static, frozen front lines seen in later stages of the war in Ukraine.
Estonian troops board an RAF Chinook from 18(B) Squadron during an exercise in Estonia - AS1 Mark Dollard/Ministry of Defence
What Happened
In one scenario a combined battle group of thousands of soldiers — including a British brigade alongside an Estonian division — was defeated by a 10-person Ukrainian team playing the enemy. Participants and organisers described the outcome as disastrous for the NATO side.
'They were just walking around, not using any kind of disguise, parking tents and armoured vehicles. It was all destroyed,' a participant who played the enemy told The Wall Street Journal.
Tools And Tactics
The Ukrainian team used 'Delta', a battlefield-management system that collects real-time intelligence, applies AI to analyse data, helps identify targets and coordinates strikes. Working with strike drones, the team mock-destroyed 17 armoured vehicles and carried out 30 simulated strikes in roughly half a day.
A British Challenger 2 tank deployed on Hedgehog 2025 in Estonia - AS1 Leah Jones/Ministry of Defence
Aivar Hanniotti, an Estonian systems coordinator, said two battalions were effectively eliminated in a single day and that the units 'were not able to fight any more after that'. Lt Col Arbo Probal, head of Estonia's unmanned systems programme, said the exercise was intentionally stressful to test units' ability to operate under cognitive overload.
An officer who observed the drill reportedly summed it up bluntly: 'We are f----d.'
Broader Implications
The exercise underlines the growing centrality of drones and AI-enabled battlefield systems in modern land warfare. Analysts quoted in reporting estimate that drone systems account for a large share of casualties in the Ukraine conflict, reshaping tactics and procurement priorities across Europe.
Chinnoks from the RAF’s 18(B) Squadron during an exercise in Estonia - AS1 Mark Dollard/Ministry of Defence
European partners have accelerated domestic drone production and training. At the Munich Security Conference, President Volodymyr Zelensky unveiled a strike drone co-produced by Germany and Ukraine, describing it as 'battle-tested' and 'powered by AI.' The UK has pledged £2bn for drone capability to make its Army more 'battle-ready'.
Diplomacy And Next Steps
The report comes as diplomatic pressure for negotiated talks continues. New peace talks involving Ukraine, the US and Russia were scheduled in Geneva for Feb. 17-18, with Vladimir Medinsky leading the Russian delegation and Rustem Umerov and Kyrylo Budanov representing Ukraine.
The Telegraph has been contacted for comment.
Help us improve.
