NATO’s multinational military drills start in Estonia

NATO’s two-week long international military exercise, dubbed Pikne (Lightning), has kicked off in Estonia.

The exercise is led by Estonian Division, and in addition to units of the Estonian Defence Forces and the Estonian Defence League, Allied units from France, the United Kingdom, the United States and Latvia will participate, the Estonian Defense Forces said in a statement , News.Az reports.

Estonian Defence Forces highlight that during the two-week exercise, there will be more military convoys and allied units’ equipment moving on the roads of North and North-East Estonia than usual, therefore the Defence Forces emphasize the need for increased attention in traffic and ask for the patience and understanding of other commuters.

In addition, as part of the exercise, notable air activities will take place in the region of North and North-East Estonia, including low-altitude flights.

Estonian and French naval vessels are conducting various combat and cooperation exercises in the Gulf of Finland.

Exercise Pikne is part of NATO’s Vigilance Activity Brilliant Eagle, that focuses on the Allies’ mobility and cooperation capabilities in the Baltic Sea region.

NATO multinational battlegroups are deployed to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland. Currently, United Kingdom, France and Iceland are the allied countries contributing to the defense of the Estonia within the military cooperation framework.

News.Az