Polish special operations units have become the first among NATO member states to complete in Germany a training course developed by the American "Green Berets" based on the real combat experience of Ukrainian military forces in their confrontation with Russia. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing Associated Press. By the developers' design, the exercise was originally created for the U.S. special operations units themselves, and its scenario was built around the specific problems that Ukrainian troops faced during combat operations. The central element of the training was covert infiltration through simulated enemy lines and the destruction of a target using an unmanned aerial vehicle.
Third generation of exercises at the Hohenfels base
The exercises began on Friday at a training ground near Hohenfels in Germany and are being held at this base for the third time. Previously, the program had been completed exclusively by American teams, so the participation of Polish special forces marked the first time the format has extended beyond the United States. According to AP, the action takes place on a territory of approximately 1,100 square miles and lasts several days. At the start, the Polish team had to slip past an American airborne infantry unit that was simulating the enemy and establishing a simulated front line.
Sixty miles through the German countryside
The scenario then required the team to cover roughly 60 miles of German rural terrain — past farms, villages, private and state surveillance cameras, as well as the city of Amberg with a population of 40,000 — in order to reach another training ground near Grafenwöhr and destroy a simulated target. The entire movement turned into a multi-day test of stealth and navigation under conditions as close as possible to real deep-raid combat missions.
Civilian clothing and "live" onlookers
The key tactic was a change of appearance: during the movement, the Polish operators removed their military uniforms and changed into civilian clothing so as not to draw attention. Most local German residents were unaware of the very fact that the exercises were being conducted, and thus became a real, rather than simulated, test of the special forces' ability to "blend in" among the civilian population. If anyone from the group were to be suspected and reported to the police, that information, per the scenario, would reach the military, allowing the team's location to be pinpointed.
Hunting from the air and on the ground
In parallel with the movement, American forces conducted a search for the Polish special forces using their own drones — in previous versions of the exercise, more than a hundred unmanned aerial vehicles were at their disposal. Upon locating the group, additional forces were brought into play: military police with dogs or new drones. According to the scenario, participants could be simulated as "captured" or "killed," which made completing the course maximally stress-resistant and close to combat reality.
Context: wreaths at defense offices and Tusk's call
These exercises are taking place against a backdrop of growing alarm signals in the region. Unknown individuals delivered mourning wreaths to the offices of defense companies in Lithuania and the Czech Republic — reportedly bearing photographs of the heads of those companies, with the incidents occurring almost simultaneously in both countries; in Lithuania, Russia was suspected of involvement in the action. Against this backdrop, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called for strengthening Ukraine's air defense, stating that Russia is preparing for yet another escalation and that the next six months will be decisive for the security of the entire region.
