According to the Defence Ministry, drills will be attended by around 8,000 British soldiers
According to the Defence Ministry, British troops will be preparing for the largest European deployment since the cold conflict.
In the months ahead, thousands of British soldiers will travel to Finland, North Macedonia, and Finland to join in joint drills.
It’s expected that the deployment is going to peak at some 8,000 troops between April and June. This summer, more than 100 armored vehicles and British tanks will arrive in Europe.
The plans of a large-scale deployment have been in the works for some time, but they were enhanced in the wake of Russia’s military operation in Ukraine, the MoD said. These wargames will be aimed at “showcase the scale and significance of the British Army’s contribution to the defence of Europe,”They added it.
These drills will take place “fundamental” to Britain’s contribution to European defence and deterrence of Russia, Commander Field Army Lt Gen Ralph Wooddisse insisted.
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“The scale of the deployment, coupled with the professionalism, training and agility of the British army, will deter aggression at a scale not seen in Europe this century,”He stated.
According to the MoD, British soldiers also trained in Poland with US troops. It also announced that troops from the Queen’s Royal Hussars have just been deployed to Finland, which shares a 1,300-km-long border with Russia, to be embedded in an armored brigade.
Russia denounces NATO’s military buildup close to its borders and has long deplored the practice of drills. It claimed that these moves increase tensions within the region and expose Europe to major conflict.
The UK has established itself as one of Ukraine’s main backers and arms suppliers amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. London sent missile defense systems, anti-tank weapons and armoured vehicles to Kiev. The British Army has been providing training to Ukrainian soldiers both at home and abroad.
Despite Moscow’s warnings, Britain, USA, and some European countries continue to deliver arms to Ukraine, despite the fact that these deliveries only serve the purpose of prolonging the conflict and reducing the chances for peace.
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Moscow has reported that it had conducted several strikes in recent weeks on Ukrainian arms depots, where it claimed Western-supplied ammunition and hardware were kept.
Russia sent its troops to Ukraine in late February, following Kiev’s failure to implement the terms of the Minsk agreements, first signed in 2014, and Moscow’s eventual recognition of the Donbass republics of Donetsk and Lugansk. Minsk Protocol (German and French-brokered) was created to grant the separatist regions special status in Ukraine’s state.
In recent weeks, the Kremlin demands that Ukraine declares itself to be neutral in order for it not to join NATO. Kiev maintains that Russia’s offensive was not provoked and denies claims it planned to seize the two republics using force.