In the Polish city of Bydgoszcz, within the walls of the NATO-Ukraine Joint Analysis, Training and Education Centre (JATEC), a unique three-day simulation took place. During the exercises, Ukrainian specialists played the role of the "aggressor nation," practicing disinformation tactics that in real life are associated with Russian methods of warfare. The game scenario was built on the confrontation between the fictional democracy of "Peranza" and its authoritarian neighbor "Karti".
Scenario: from cyberattacks to floods
The exercises modeled a situation where "Karti" (played by Ukrainians) launched a series of attacks on the infrastructure of "Peranza" (defended by the NATO team). The scenario included three critical crises: a large-scale power outage, a devastating flood, and a hack of the banking system. In response to each crisis, "Karti" launched a powerful information campaign.
The main weapon of the Ukrainian team was artificial intelligence. Specialists generated thousands of messages for social media, accusing the government of "Peranza" of incompetence and corruption. At the same time, a narrative spread that only "Karti" was capable of saving the population. Slogans like "Peranza cannot help, but Karti can" appeared on the website of the fictional government. The NATO team, in turn, tried to keep the situation under control, calling for unity and warning about looting.
Paradoxical result: who taught whom?
The results of the simulation turned out to be unexpected. According to the jury, consisting of scientists and disinformation experts, the "Karti" team lost by a minimal margin in only two out of three scenarios. German Lieutenant Colonel Yvonne Retter, Director of the Bundeswehr Digitalization Center, acknowledged the professional superiority of the Ukrainian side.
"Ukrainians worked faster, were more creative, and demonstrated better skills in working with artificial intelligence. They have a very realistic understanding of how opponents work and communicate. In this regard, we can learn from them," Retter noted.
The jury criticized the "Karti" team for the lack of a single, consistent narrative that would be anchored on several key messages. However, Ukrainian participants responded to this criticism with a reference to reality: "In real life, the main messages change every day — just look at what Russia is doing".
Exchange of experience at the JATEC center
These exercises became part of the broader work of the NATO-Ukraine Joint Center, which opened in Bydgoszcz in February 2025. This is the first civil-military organization jointly managed by the Alliance and Kyiv. The center's work plan was formed back in January 2025, and in October the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine determined the procedure for sending military specialists to Poland.
Today, one-third of the center's 60 employees are seconded from Ukraine — representatives of the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Defense, and intelligence services. The Ukrainian delegation, led by Colonel Valeriy Vishnevsky, shares unique combat experience: swarm drone attacks, electronic warfare, and decentralized command structures. In return, Ukraine gains access to advanced software and engineering capabilities of NATO.
Limitations of the simulation
Despite the success of the exercises, experts emphasize that the game cannot fully reproduce real war conditions. Alexandra Fotescu, a researcher of cognitive warfare at the Helmut Schmidt University in Hamburg, noted that the simulation lacks the emotional and existential burden faced by Ukrainians on the front lines. "The game does not actually immerse us in real conditions... It is more of a scenario developed for practice," she admitted.
The simulation was funded by the Bundeswehr, and the technical platform for digital military games was provided by the French IT company Atos. For Ukraine, such exercises are an important step towards achieving operational interoperability with the Alliance, which is critical for modern defense.