Estonia prepares for war with Russia, which NATO hopes to deter - Euractiv
Kyiv • UNN
Estonia is hosting the largest military exercises Hedgehog 25, involving 16,000 soldiers from 10 NATO countries. Tallinn is building 600 bunkers and a military base on the border with Russia.
Estonia has hosted the country's largest military exercise, Hedgehog 25, in which about 16,000 Estonian soldiers and allied soldiers from 10 NATO countries are working out a three-week simulation scenario: Russian troops have launched an invasion across the border, triggering NATO's mutual defense provision and an existential struggle for the Baltic region, Euractiv reports, UNN writes.
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"In these exercises, we are actually practicing the new regional deterrence and defense plans [NATO] for the first time, including the rapid redeployment of [international] units to defend Estonia," said Peeter Kuimet, Director of International Cooperation at the Estonian Ministry of Defense.
NATO's updated strategy, which defines the allies' response to a potential attack, was agreed only last year.
Previous defense plans provided for a so-called "stretch" approach, according to which the Baltic forces delayed the Russian offensive, waiting for NATO reinforcements. Given the new assessments of Moscow's tactics regarding threats, "the plans now are to defend the territory from the first instance," Kuimet said, meaning that the Russians will not be allowed to advance even an inch.
Against the backdrop of the fact that previous exercises took place only a few weeks after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the current ones are the most "sobering" - based on several grim lessons learned from the past years.
Estonian officials say the war in Ukraine has demonstrated Russia's willingness to destroy what it cannot hold and the almost impossibility of reclaiming occupied lands without huge costs. "In Bucha, we saw how the Russians treat Ukrainians, their Slavic brothers. I don't want to think about how they will treat the Balts, whom they have always considered evil fascists," Kuimet said.
Tallinn is also more firmly adopting the concept of so-called "total defense" - extending readiness beyond military to civilian defense.
In parallel with military exercises, they also tested the updated emergency alert system in the country for the first time this week, with sirens roaring across the country. The new network of 120 sirens, installed after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, covers about two-thirds of Estonia's population.
However, as the publication notes, well-established rehearsals on the ground are overshadowed by doubts about the future of America's long-standing commitment to European security, if the darkest hour comes. "NATO's ability to deter a potential attack and retaliate with a sufficient number of troops may still depend on American reinforcements," the publication writes.
American troops are noticeably absent from this year's exercises after participating in previous exercises. When asked about the missing "American factor," European defense officials are clearly refusing to speculate, the publication notes.
"With these exercises, we have shown that collectively European forces are very, very strong on their own and capable of carrying out a deterrent role against Russia," said Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Rykes, commander of the contingent of British troops stationed in Estonia.
"As for Estonia, in the foreseeable future, the defense of Europe without the participation of the United States is unthinkable," Kuimet admitted at the same time.
Meanwhile, as noted, all over Europe they hope that its growing willingness to invest more in defense will appease some of the frustration in Washington and interest the Americans.
Estonians are also digging in - literally. Over the next four years, Tallinn plans to spend half a billion euros on military infrastructure, including 600 reinforced concrete bunkers along the eastern border. Stocks of barbed wire, tank traps and mines are being deployed for rapid deployment.
By 2027, a new military base is also planned to be built in Narva, the country's eastern outpost on the border with Russia. Once it is ready, it will house a permanent contingent of several hundred soldiers.
Estonia's preparation is more than symbolism. The country's intelligence recently warned that Russia plans to form new military units near the border. Estonian intelligence officials warn that Moscow may focus on Northern Europe after the end of the war in Ukraine.
Estonian authorities insist that the deployment of a new base on the border is part of a long-standing strategy, not a reactive measure. "In this way, more training for the defense forces will take place in the areas where they will operate during the war," Kuimet said.
