Nato forces are “100% prepared” to defend Europe ought to Putin determine to invade, a British army commander has instructed PA information company.
Lieutenant Colonel Ru Streatfeild, who’s main the organisation’s battlegroup in Estonia, stated British troops had been “buzzing” and immensely proud” to be serving to reinforce the nation’s japanese border with Russia.
Troops led by the UK’s 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh, which he instructions and have lately been deployed to the Baltic State, took half in a large-scale train on Tapa army base, solely 70 miles from the Russian border, on Thursday.
Our troopers are immensely proud to be right here. It’s an immense privilege. However it’s also an immense duty
Lt Col Ru Streatfeild
Train Daring Dragon concerned round 2,300 troopers from UK, French, Danish and Estonian ranks utilizing tanks, together with the British Challenger 2 tanks, armoured infantry, engineers, artillery and logistics.
It noticed the allied forces go head-to-head towards the Estonians within the mud, snow and boggy circumstances to additional hone Nato’s warfare capabilities and ways and make sure the clean operating of working collectively.
Talking in the course of the train Lt Col Streatfeild stated the warfare in Ukraine had given his troopers “a razor-like focus”.
Estonian troopers defend a dug-in place attacked by British troops on the Tapa central army coaching space in Estonia on NATO train Daring Dragon alongside, Danish and French forces (Ben Birchall/PA)
(PA Wire)
“We are actually underneath NATO command proper now. There are NATO plans in place, and no matter orders we’re given underneath a NATO construction, we’ll execute them,” he stated.
Requested if Nato forces had been ready within the occasion of a Russian invasion, he stated: “100 per cent. There’s swagger. They’re on their sport and they’re prepared.
“It isn’t that folks revel on this. However troopers need to do a job. They need to put their tradecraft into apply.
“That is what they be a part of the Army to do.”
PA Graphics
(PA Graphics)
He added: “Our troopers are immensely proud to be right here. It’s an immense privilege. However it’s also an immense duty.”
He stated Nato forces weren’t simply in place to guard the safety of the japanese flank but additionally the “freedoms we regularly take without any consideration”.
“It’s these western liberal values; it’s free speech, it’s the power to have the ability to purchase your individual home or automobile, all these western norms, they’re underpinned by safety and that’s what Nato is right here for.”
British Challenger II tanks on manoeuvres on the Tapa central army coaching space in Estonia on NATO train Daring Dragon alongside Estonian, Danish and French forces (Ben Birchall/PA)
(PA Wire)
The battle group commander stated he “completely” is aware of how he would counter a Russian assault, including: “We’re attending to know this terrain rather well.
“And for the Estonians, that is their terrain. They’ve defended it earlier than and they’re going to defend it once more.”
There are presently round 2,000 Nato troops in Estonia, together with the Royal Danish Army Viking Firm and the French seventh Alpine Hunter Battalion.
On Wednesday Estonian officers known as for Nato member states to double the variety of troopers within the nation as a way to deter Russia from advancing additional into Europe.
Gunner Joe Watson, 19, from Wakefield stated he’s not involved concerning the prospect of warfare.
“It doesn’t actually concern me. We did be a part of the Army for a motive. You’ve at all times acquired to be ready for it,” he stated.
“And as a gunner, you don’t actually give it some thought. You simply do your job and attempt to do it properly.
British Challenger II tanks on the Tapa central army coaching space in Estonia (Ben Birchall/PA)
(PA Wire)
“Everybody understands that if we do go, it is going to be massive.
“However we’re specializing in defending Estonia. That’s precisely what that is.”
He added: “I’m proud to be right here. I believe a variety of the Estonians are very grateful that numerous the British Army are right here, particularly the armoured models. And this makes you fairly proud to be on this job.
“I’ve acquired fairly a small household, they’re coping with it fairly properly. My dad is clearly proud. They’re all fairly proud to be truthful.”
Lance Corporal Rhydian Stephens, from Ammanford in Carmarthenshire, who’s connected to the Royal Welsh as a B-company medic stated: “We heard the information concerning the warfare once we had been out doing coaching workouts in Germany and clearly folks acquired excited. It’s what we joined the military to do.
“We joined the military to assist.
“However for now we’re simply watching what’s taking place in the intervening time on the information and doing what we have to do right here in Estonia first.”
