Late last month, a German convoy of 1,000 troops with tanks, drones and armored vehicles made its way some 750 miles to a Lithuanian military compound in Pabrade in three days, using trains, ferries, trucks and planes — all NATO practice for a possible incursion by foreign (read: Russian) troops.
The huge military exercise, integrating German and Lithuanian troops, began with reconnaissance and turned into a noisy, dusty battle that, not surprisingly, NATO won.
The NATO exercise was meant to convince Lithuania and other countries bordering Russia that the promise of rapid reinforcement and collective defense was a reality.
It was also intended to demonstrate the alliance’s new commitment to countering a more dangerous Russia, which argues that its war in Ukraine is a necessary response to what it considers NATO’s effort to dismantle Moscow’s sphere of influence.
As NATO leaders prepare to gather in nearby Vilnius, the Lithuanian capital, on Tuesday, the Baltic nations and the others on Europe’s eastern flank are feeling especially vulnerable.
Organizations:
NATO, Leopard
Locations:
Lithuanian, Pabrade, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Vilnius, Baltic