AP Exclusive: US coaches Polish forces in a drone-focused drill based on lessons from Ukraine

HOHENFELS, Germany (AP) — On a moonless and rainy night, a group of soldiers emerged from a ramshackle building meant to resemble a church. The alpine terrain loomed over them as they quietly set off for the tree line of the German countryside a short distance away.The soldiers are members of the Polish special forces and are taking part in an exercise designed only months ago that simulates moving through enemy lines, traversing miles of enemy territory and launching a drone strike on a key enemy location.Initially designed by the Army's Green Berets for U.S. special forces, the exercise that began Friday is informed by and simulates many of the challenges that Ukrainian troops have experienced in their conflict with Russia.

It is the first time a NATO ally like Poland has undertaken the training, and it comes at a time when tensions between Russian President Vladimir Putin and NATO countries have escalated.“We’re using lessons learned from Ukraine,” an Army Green Beret officer assigned to the training complex said Thursday. “All of those effects that we’re seeing either Russia or Ukraine having to overcome — we’re doing our best to replicate.”The Associated Press received rare access to both the training ground and the troops conducting the exercise, which has only been conducted twice before, both times this year, by two different Green Beret teams.The drill highlights the focus that some parts of the U.S. military have on learning the latest techniques in drone warfare, pioneered by Ukraine during its 4 1/2-year effort to repel Russian forces.

It also shows how the U.S., its NATO allies and Ukraine are working together to counter the threat of possible further Russian action in coming years even as the Trump administration has warned of troop drawdowns in Europe.CIA Director John Ratcliffe went to Moscow this week to warn Russia not to attack NATO countries, The Wall Street Journal reported. Russia has the appetite to conduct sabotage and cyberattacks against NATO countries, but Putin wants to avoid a direct confrontation, according to three Western officials, who spoke Friday on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.How special forces are learning to sneak behind enemy lines to deploy dronesDuring the exercise in Germany, a senior enlisted soldier familiar with the training scenario at Joint Multinational Readiness Center Hohenfe…