Tom Brewer on Drone Warfare and Nebraska’s Role in Ukraine

Tom Brewer, a retired U.S. Army Colonel and Oglala Sioux member who served as Nebraska State Senator for District 43 from 2017 to 2025, returned from Ukraine last week and spoke at the Pachyderm Luncheon about the ongoing war with Russia.

This was Brewer’s fifth visit to Ukraine since the Russian invasion in 2022. A decorated veteran with two Purple Hearts from six Afghanistan tours, Brewer has helped deliver humanitarian aid and assist in training with the Ukrainian armed forces. He described the current situation as, “Probably the worst that I’ve seen it.”

Mines and Dragon’s Teeth

Brewer provided a brief recap of the war’s progression, noting that in 2022–2023, there was a window when the Russians were vulnerable. Brewer described the Kharkiv offensive, where Ukrainian forces pushed the Russians back approximately 3,000 square miles in just days but halted after outrunning their supply lines.

Afterward, the Russians heavily mined the area and erected anti-tank barriers known as “dragon’s teeth.” The following summer, under U.S. pressure, Ukrainian forces launched an offensive near Zaporizhzhia in the south, which Brewer described as “running into a buzz saw,” resulting in heavy Ukrainian casualties.

“I sometimes wish that we would step back and just let them fight their war,” Brewer said. “Because I think they probably have every bit as good of officers as we do. They just lack the resources.”

Humanitarian Work

Brewer has been involved in humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, including building orphanages for children orphaned by the war. Brewer partnered with Nebraska author Joe Starita to raise $175,000 in one night to complete an orphanage near Kyiv. They are now working on a second orphanage near Mariupol.

Brewer also discussed Tip of the Spear Landmine Removal, a veteran-run demining program led by his friend and former U.S. Army Green Beret Brian Hendrickson. They are undertaking the dangerous task of clearing mines across Ukraine’s war-torn countryside, a time-consuming process that takes a day to clear an area the size of a large room.

Nebraska and the Bread Basket

Brewer emphasized that Nebraska can significantly aid Ukraine through agriculture. In regions where Russian forces were pushed back, retreating troops looted farming equipment, including pickup trucks, combines, swathers, and even basic tools like hammers. The Buffett Foundation has donated high-quality farm equipment, including New Holland and John Deere machinery, which Brewer called “the best equipment in Europe.”

The European Union has pledged $30 billion to rebuild Ukraine’s agricultural sector, with a focus on irrigation. Six of the seven irrigation companies competing for contracts are Nebraska-based, and Brewer believes the Cornhusker State will benefit significantly.

“Anything we can do to make sure that when a Ukrainian thinks of needing things, if it’s something we make in Nebraska, they think of us first,” Brewer said.

The University of Nebraska has a program to help Ukrainian farmers adopt modern practices, including a digital library with resources on corn seed innovations, irrigation techniques, and technologies to address war-related setbacks.

“No other university is over there doing anything. No other state is doing anything,” Brewer said. “So in that sense, we’re kind of in the driver’s seat. The support of the university—Dr. [Jeffrey] Gold especially—has been amazing. He basically said, ‘If we have the technology that can help them save lives, we’re going to get it to them.’ That’s a statement that hit home for the Ukrainians—that we care enough to want to do that.”

Drone warfare and rapidly-changing battle tactics

During Brewer’s latest visit, he witnessed the future of warfare through advanced drone technology. Combat in Ukraine largely takes place at night, when drones can travel undetected.

“The sky is full of drones, of every type you can imagine,” said Brewer. “When you hear a drone, it puts a cold chill down your spine … You don’t know whether it’s a Ukrainian drone taking off or a Russian drone coming in. And by the time you figure it out, it’s too late.”

A $1,000 drone, though crudely equipped, can carry an RPG (rocket-propelled grenade) to destroy a $1 million tank. Battle tactics are rapidly evolving on the ground as a result, with Ukrainian and Russian forces adapting to these new tactics. Tanks are now fitted with protective cages to counter RPG-equipped drones, but newer thermobaric drones can bypass these defenses.

“As soon as they figure out one thing, they go to something else,” Brewer said. “Now they’ve gone to thermobaric [drones] and when it hits, it pulls all the oxygen out, and kills everybody inside the tank.”

Drone operations are conducted from protective bunkers known as “potato cellars,” where over 70 young soldiers in their 20s use iPads and energy drinks like Red Bull to carry out attacks. Brewer noted that these new battle tactics are not being taught in American military academies, and he is advocating to bring Ukrainian soldiers to the United States to share their battlefield expertise.

“I think inevitably we’re going to be in a fight, whether it be with Russia or China at some point, and these tactics are going to make a difference on how many body bags we fill,” Brewer said. “I almost get the feeling that some in the military see the Ukrainians as lesser-trained, less worthy of being platform instructors in our academies, our schools, et cetera. I would say it’s just the opposite, because they live it every day.”

An end in sight?

Although Brewer described both sides as entrenched, he sees signs of progress in Europe and the United States toward ending the war. A guest asked whether relations between Trump and Zelensky had improved since their televised altercation in February.

“I don’t think Zelensky knew quite how to handle Trump,” Brewer said. “He’s on your side if you let him be, but you can’t get in his face and not expect him to bite back. But I think relations are better now. They mended fences. And the mineral deal was really a huge deal for us.”

Brewer also sees Europe taking the lead as an important next step in ending the war.

“They’re just a bunch of countries that kind of all get along for the most part, but nobody wants be in charge and say, ‘Listen, we’ve got to fix this and this is how we’re going to do it,’” Brewer said. “We can’t give away Europe to Russia, but they can do a lot more, and I think that’s hopefully where they’re moving. And I think they are, and they’re digging a lot deeper in their wallets.”

Although the conflict’s end is not yet in sight, Europe and the United States, including Nebraska, have important roles to play. And Ukraine remains committed to a prolonged fight ahead.