Fighters of the 12th Special Purpose Brigade «Azov» of the National Guard of Ukraine conducted three-day training exercises with Latvian soldiers, during which they demonstrated practical experience in the use of unmanned systems in modern warfare. The Ukrainians operated as part of the unmanned systems unit of the 1st Riga Brigade of the Latvian National Guard.
This was reported by the «Azov» press service in November, publishing a video from the exercises.
The Ukrainian group combined FPV drone operators, Mavic reconnaissance quadcopters, heavy strike bomber UAVs, and crews of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs). It also included a command and control element.
During the training, the soldiers demonstrated how various unmanned platforms can interact within a single unit: aerial systems carry out reconnaissance and strike missions, while ground robots augment their capabilities directly on the battlefield.
The Ukrainian soldiers shared with their Latvian counterparts experience in the use of drones, defense organization, and the execution of combat tasks — experience tested during the war against Russia.
The commander of the 1st Riga Brigade of the Latvian National Guard, Lieutenant Colonel Ēriks Keisters, spoke highly of the Ukrainian experience.
«I believe we can learn and adopt a great deal from you. One of our primary tasks is the defense of Latvia’s capital — Riga. We are also very interested in your technical proficiency in the use of drones,» he stated.
The exercises took place against the backdrop of the large-scale Latvian maneuvers NAMEJS 2026, which ran from September 2 to October 8. In total, approximately 12,000 Latvian soldiers, national guardsmen, and representatives of allied nations took part.
According to the Latvian National Armed Forces, this year’s program included the development of unmanned capabilities, as well as the detection and neutralization of hostile UAVs. The experience of the war in Ukraine was taken into account during planning.
