Swedish NATO exercise simulates Gotland threats

GOTLAND, Sweden — A Swedish-led NATO military exercise this week simulated an unnamed adversary threatening the alliance's newest member with troop buildups along its eastern border and sabotage causing power outages and food shortages on the strategic island of Gotland, testing responses before invoking NATO's Article 5 collective defense clause.

The war game, which included U.S. forces, drew on real-world concerns over Russia's increased sabotage activities, such as cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and disinformation campaigns across Europe. Rear Adm. Jonas Wikström, the exercise director, said such scenarios could unfold imminently.

In a notable element, Ukrainian drone pilots, invited as non-NATO advisors, demonstrated battlefield lessons by simulating attacks that overwhelmed Swedish troops while playing the aggressor role. "They stopped the training three times for troops to work out what to do better, but if it were real life they would have been dead," said one pilot, using the call sign Tarik. Another, call sign Karat, noted Swedish forces have potential but require better drones, tactics and commander training, drawing from his experience flying...