Nato forces ‘100% prepared’ to defend Europe if Russia invades
Nato forces are “100% prepared” to defend Europe ought to Putin resolve to invade, a British army commander has instructed PA information company.
Lieutenant Colonel Ru Streatfeild, who’s main the organisation’s battlegroup in Estonia, mentioned British troops have been “buzzing” and immensely proud” to be serving to reinforce the nation’s jap border with Russia.
Troops led by the UK’s 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh, which he instructions and have just lately been deployed to the Baltic State, took half in a large-scale train on Tapa army base, solely 70 miles from the Russian border, on Thursday.
Train Daring Dragon concerned round 2,300 troopers from UK, French, Danish and Estonian ranks utilizing tanks, together with the British Challenger 2 tanks, armoured infantry, engineers, artillery and logistics.
It noticed the allied forces go head-to-head towards the Estonians within the mud, snow and boggy situations to additional hone Nato’s struggle capabilities and techniques and make sure the clean operating of working collectively.
Talking throughout the train Lt Col Streatfeild mentioned the struggle in Ukraine had given his troopers “a razor-like focus”.
“We are actually underneath NATO command proper now. There are NATO plans in place, and no matter orders we’re given underneath a NATO construction, we are going to execute them,” he mentioned.
Requested if Nato forces have been ready within the occasion of a Russian invasion, he mentioned: “100 per cent. There may be swagger. They’re on their sport and they’re prepared. It isn’t that folks revel on this. However troopers need to do a job. They need to put their tradecraft into apply. That is what they be a part of the Military to do.”