Since the beginning of the war, NATO has reinforced its military presence in this country which shares a border with Russia. Many French troops seconded to the military alliance train there.
In this landscape of frozen taiga, we are preparing for the attack in a long Estonian forest some 130 km from the Russian border. An armored vehicle moves towards the position of Master Corporal Camille, of the mountain commando group. He spotted something, quickly gives his instructions and “fire!”, he orders. But the Eryx anti-tank missile will not go off. Here, it is simply an exercise: the Russian invasion of Estonia is only simulated, but with a certain degree of realism.
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Further into the forest, the bullets actually whistle this time. The commando group is on the attack. A few meters away, hidden under his camouflage nets, Lieutenant-Colonel Jean-Philippe is in the command post: “We are currently monitoring in real time what these commando units are doing on the ground. The commandos can request artillery support from the American forces that support us.”
In Estonia, Great Britain is the framework nation of this NATO battle group. In this group, we find American artillery, British Challenger tanks, Danish Leopard 2 tanks, the same ones that will be sent to Ukraine, and a company of French mountain hunters. This unit is supported by a brigade of the Estonian army. But force deployment isn’t just for exercise: “It’s also about reassuring Estonia about our commitment to NATO“, defends British Captain Alexander Worth, the battle group’s chief of operations.
France to send new units to Estonia
Estonia now feels directly threatened by Russia. NATO is therefore providing military support to this allied country. This preparation is a good thing salutes Colonel Andrus Merilo who commands the Estonian brigade. “The Russians tend to attack their neighbours: Georgia in 2008, Crimea in 2014… And we are ready to counter the type of attack that there was against Ukraine.”
“The whole question is to know when this attack will take place: we are well prepared for it.”
Colonel Andrus Meriloat franceinfo
The NATO units present in Estonia must also be consolidated, explains Estonian Under-Secretary for Defense Policy Tuuli Duneton. “The United Kingdom has decided to give strength to Estonia with an entire brigade. And in the same way, France will reinforce its contingent with a company on the Griffon armored vehicle”, she explains to franceinfo.
Next spring, legionnaires from the 13th demi-brigade of the Foreign Legion, equipped with Griffonswill take the place of alpine hunters on this border between Russia and NATO.
