NATO forces conduct major military drills in Estonia with 2,000 troops

Two-week NATO military exercises, dubbed "Lightning", have begun in Estonia, with troops from various allied nations participating.

The exercises, which will involve the arrival of allied naval forces and active air operations, are set to take place in the northern and northeastern parts of Estonia from December 2 to 15, Caliber.Az reports via Estonian media.

Major General Indrek Sirel, the commander of the division overseeing the exercises, explained that the drills aim to practise the rapid deployment of French, British, and Estonian forces and strengthen cooperation between these nations. 

French, British, and Estonian units will conduct land and air operations to deploy troops to Estonia, before working together to complete the assigned tasks.

As part of the exercises, NATO forces will practice mechanisms for the swift deployment of troops into conflict zones, focusing on integrating into the allied combat group in Estonia to counter threats from air, land, and sea.

Around 2,000 soldiers from Estonia, Latvia, the United States, France, and the United Kingdom are taking part, alongside ground, air, and naval units from Estonia's Defence Forces.

The NATO combat group in Estonia and other temporarily deployed units are also involved in the exercises.

By Aghakazim Guliyev