NATO brings 'Spring Storm' to Russia's border
NATO's Spring Storm 2019 exercise has begun in Estonia, according to the country's Armed Forces Command. Military expert Alex Podberezkin, in an interview with Sputnik, said that the Baltic republic of Estonia is the top priority for the Alliance.
More than 9,000 foreign servicemen from 13 countries are taking part in the large-scale NATO exercise Kevadtorm-2019 (Spring Storm 2019), held from April 29 to May 17, mainly in northeastern Estonia near the border with Russia.
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| Soldiers participate in the "Spring Storm" exercise. Photo: EstonianDefense Forces |
Spring Storm will involve army, air force and naval units. The ground forces will include Estonian servicemen, British and French units from the NATO international battalion stationed in Estonia, as well as troops from NATO and partner countries: the US, Germany, Belgium, Canada, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Finland, Georgia and Ukraine.
About 200 armored vehicles will take part, including British Challenger-2 and French Leclerc tanks. Eurofighter jets from the German and British air forces, Polish Su-22 ground attack aircraft, British Wildcat multi-role helicopters and Apache attack helicopters, as well as Pave Hawk helicopters will fly in Estonian airspace.
Director of the Center for Military-Political Studies at MGIMO, Doctor of History Alexei Podberezkin, in an interview with Sputnik, noted that in recent years there has been a rapid militarization process in the Baltic countries.
“Estonia is trying to turn itself into a “military power”, at least on a Baltic scale. Not only Estonia, but also its neighbors Latvia and Lithuania, have significantly increased their military spending in recent years – out of step with GDP growth. That is, full-scale militarization,” said Alexey Podberezkin.
The exercise in Estonia is part of preparing NATO infrastructure to confront Russia, he said.
"NATO infrastructure is being built in the Baltic countries, and in this case Estonia is a top priority for NATO. If we talk about infrastructure development, it is necessary to train the deployment of troops, prepare various facilities to receive soldiers, military equipment, create communication centers... It is NATO preparing the infrastructure to confront Russia, and Estonia is chosen as the main direction in case of possible aggression against Russia," Alexei Podberezkin concluded.
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