A NATO division of 20,000 soldiers will be established in Estonia, with a British general appointed as deputy commander. Britain places an entire brigade of heavy armament in Estonia.
Defense Ministers Hanno Pevkur (left) and John Healey agreed on strengthening Estonia’s defense.
The defense alliance NATO is strengthening the defense of the Baltic States. The goal is to prevent the threat of Russian attack in advance. Dictator Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks Estonia belongs to Russian control.
Britain assigns the fourth brigade of its land forces to the defense of Estonia. An entire NATO brigade consists of 4,000-5,000 British soldiers.
It is about an armored brigade, i.e. a very firepower group.
The British transfer the heavy armament of the brigade to Estonia, which includes, among other things, Mobile Archer howitzers, Boxer armored fighting vehicles and Challenger 3 heavy battle tanks.
British Defense Secretary John Healey and the Minister of Defense of Estonia Hanno Pevkur signed the agreement on the measures described above at NATO headquarters on Thursday.
– One of the key things is Britain’s long-term commitment. Britain orders its fourth brigade to strengthen the defense of Estonia, Pevkur praises in his statement.
NATO Division
All battalions of the brigade are on high alert in Britain. They will be quickly transferred to Estonia if Russia tries to pressure Estonia or prepares an attack on the country.
Part of the British forces is always physically present in Estonia, where all soldiers of the brigade train regularly.
The British brigade will become part of the new NATO division, which will bear the main responsibility for the defense of Estonia. The combat strength of the division is about 20,000 soldiers.
The other three brigades of the division consist of Estonian army soldiers.
Britain helps Estonia establish a NATO division. For that, its own headquarters will be established in Estonia, with Britain appointing a British brigadier general as its deputy commander.
– I am happy that thanks to the contract signed now, Britain will supply Estonia with its latest and most modern combat equipment, says Pevkur.
A warning from Stubb
The defense ministers emphasize that the transfer of the British brigade to Estonia is practiced regularly.
Next year, the Hedgehog exercise will be organized in Estonia, where the brigade will train to repel a Russian attack.
As part of the agreement, Britain will help Estonia develop a long-range strike capability.
Russia’s attack on Ukraine has shown that the defender must be able to destroy Russian armaments and mass formations deep in Russian soil.
President of the Republic Alexander Stubb stressed during his state visit to Norway that Russia’s attempt to destroy the Ukrainian state must not become a precedent.
If Russia were to achieve its goals, Putin would likely continue his imperialist policy of conquest.
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