Ukraine Participates in Gotland Defense During Sweden’s Aurora 26 Exercises

Ukraine joined the large-scale Swedish military exercise Aurora 26, taking place on the island of Gotland and in the Baltic Sea alongside NATO member states.

According to Sweden’s Ministry of Defence, more than 16,000 Swedish service members are participating in the drills together with military units from 11 allied countries and Ukraine. The exercises will run until May 13 and include ground, naval, and air operations.

The Swedish government said Ukraine’s involvement is part of its partnership and joint training cooperation with Western nations.

A major focus of Aurora 26 is the defense of Gotland, a strategically important island in the Baltic Sea.

NATO forces are practicing the deployment of reinforcements, coordination between Alliance units, and joint defense operations in the region.

Ukraine joined the exercises as part of the expanded JEF-Ukraine partnership with the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF).

Ukrainian drone operators took the lead in training on the use of UAVs. They are also teaching Swedish troops how to protect themselves from explosives dropped by strike drones.

The Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) is a UK-led multinational military partnership made up of Northern European countries. It was created to provide rapid military response and conduct expeditionary operations.

The Swedish military stressed that the expanded partnership between the JEF and Ukraine is an important step toward deeper cooperation and integration with the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

Militarnyi previously reported that Ukrainian FPV drone operators from the Unmanned Systems Battalion of the 3rd Separate Assault Brigade took part in Finland’s Mighty Arrow 26 military exercises.

The main focus was on tactics for using FPV drones in real combat conditions. In particular, the training covered coordination between reconnaissance and strike drones to detect and destroy targets before enemy forces reach the front line.