Ukrainian drones wipe out elite US brigade in drills, as Europe bankrolls Kyiv and US aid falls to zero (Ukraine Battlefield update, Day 1,632)

Every day, the Ukraine Battlefield update newsletter offers a clear look at how the war is unfolding on the ground. Subscribe for free here to get the full text delivered to your inbox. A US armoured brigade was defeated by Ukrainian drone operators. Only Europe is now saving Ukraine, while the Americans have completely relinquished their influence. The Russians claim to have captured Chasiv Yar. Again. The Skala assault regiment has been placed under the command of the 1st Azov Corps. Ukraine offered Russia a mutual halt to attacks on ships in the Black Sea, but the Kremlin rejected it. Maps of the day — Chasiv Yar Videos of the day — a Ukrainian soldier in Chasiv Yar shoots down drones; a Russian surface-to-air missile malfunctioned and flew into the sea; a drone duel Ukrainian drone operators defeated an elite US armoured brigade. The United States is experiencing a period of unprecedented self-inflicted damage, and current developments related to the war in Ukraine are a telling illustration of this. Alongside, of course, its botched war with Iran, which president Donald Trump is unable either to win or to bring fully to an end. In today’s Ukraine Battlefield update, we take a closer look at two symptoms of a condition which, if the problems remain unaddressed, could turn into serious American decline. The first is the inability — or, looking ahead, an inadequate or slow ability — to learn from the direction in which warfare is developing in the 21st century. For Americans, it was humiliating that Iran was able to destroy aircraft at airfields and radars worth hundreds of millions of dollars with cheap drones, and that they were unable to reliably protect even their allies in the region from these drones. The US military was a pioneer in introducing drones, but it is now falling behind. The Combined Resolve exercise, involving approximately 3,500 US soldiers, showed how and to what extent this is the case. Most of them belonged to the 3rd Armored Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Cavalry Division. Although it traditionally bears the cavalry designation, it is a heavy armoured division and one of the most powerful units in the entire US military. The 3rd Brigade itself can be described as a tank formation. It is equipped with the latest version of Abrams tanks, Bradley fighting vehicles, and other heavy equipment. The US newspaper Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on how badly it fared in simulated fighting against soldiers from the Ukrainian army’s 412th Nemesis Unmanned Systems Regiment. This was not the first case in which various Nato armies have suffered “defeat” in confrontations with Ukrainians during exercises. What makes this one notable is that it was inflicted on an elite US unit. The Ukrainians took part in the exercise in two different scenarios. According to the WSJ, they ended with the exercise showing that the United States might struggle to protect tanks while they are on the move. In other words, it faces exactly the risk that befell the Russians. In the first scenario, the Ukrainian unit defended itself against a US attack. On the American side, units with standard electronic-warfare and counter-drone systems took part in the fighting. The result was that “Ukrainian drone operators eliminated a US armoured brigade during the exercise”. US officials briefed on the course of the exercise confirmed this to the newspaper. A direct participant described how the Americans sent heavy equipment into a mock attack, kicking up dust. Ukrainian drones detected it easily. They used both FPV (first-person view) drones and heavy bomber drones for the simulated strikes — precisely the same tactics seen in Ukraine. The drones “destroyed” US equipment so quickly that the exercise organisers had to send already “destroyed” vehicles back into battle to prevent it from ending prematurely. The Americans said the units repeated the scenario and performed better on the second attempt. According to them, the units improved both their dispersal and their use of electronic warfare. Moreover, new mobile teams with the most advanced equipment performed far better from the outset. In the second scenario, the Ukrainians were part of the attacking side, which they supported with their drones. The Americans praised the results, as the drones proved effective in offensive operations. The training defeat was therefore humiliating to some extent for the Americans, but they are also working to ensure it is not repeated. However, it can be said with certainty that if they were now to fight the Russian or Ukrainian army in the way they had been accustomed to, they would suffer massive losses. Only Europe is now saving Ukraine, while the Americans have completely relinquished their influence. Historians will address the question of whether Trump stopped providing military and economic support to Ukraine in order to help Russia win the war, or simply because he is incompetent. The fact is, however, that since the start of his second term, direct military and financial aid has fallen to zero.