Ukrainian drones defeated a US armoured brigade in a battlefield exercise, insiders have revealed.

The victory was so swift that US troops had to bring “destroyed” vehicles “back to life” to extend the simulation.

The drill was designed to test US forces’ ability to combat small, short-range drones. But the Ukrainians’ superior tech quickly spotted and “attacked” the Americans’ armoured vehicles as they manoeuvred around the battlefield, the Wall Street Journal reported.

US troops were tasked with attacking a position defended in part by members of Ukraine’s 412th “Nemesis” regiment of unmanned systems forces, people familiar with the exercise told the Journal. Approximately 3,500 US soldiers took part in the simulation, named Combined Resolve.

A participant in the exercise, which ran across April and May, told the Journal that the attacking units’ vehicles sent up clouds of dust, making them easy targets for Ukrainian reconnaissance drones. The Ukrainians “destroyed” a US armoured brigade in the exercise, the participant said.

Ukrainian forces worked so quickly that wargame judges were forced to resurrect “destroyed” vehicles, otherwise the training would have ground to a halt for lack of US combat units available to fight.

The simulation was repeated over the course of two weeks, with US forces showing improvement over time.

As part of the training, the Ukrainian drone operators switched sides midway through to teach the attackers how to use their technology in an offensive capacity.

Military exercises like Combined Resolve are generally conducted without live ammunition. During the exercise, observers granted the operators “kills” as the drones were piloted toward their targets.

A US Army official told the Journal that new mobile brigade combat teams, which boast more advanced anti-drone tech and strategies, fared better in the exercises than teams with standard counter-drone equipment.

The Pentagon has spent billions of dollars on drone and anti-drone tech since the beginning of Donald Trump’s second term, while the president’s sons have announced a spate of investments in defence industry startups.

The war against Iran has exposed American vulnerability to drone attacks. At least eight American service members have been killed in drone strikes.

Combined Resolve is a half-yearly exercise conducted in Germany in partnership with US allies and partners to prepare US forces for large-scale ground operations.

Read More: US pummelled by Ukraine in drone wargame