Germany Leads Major NATO Drill in Baltic Sea Area

(MENAFN) The Germany-led military training exercise named "Northern Coasts" commenced on Monday in the Baltic Sea area, involving over a dozen NATO member countries, including the United States and Canada.

General Carsten Breuer, Germany’s highest-ranking military officer, announced at a press briefing in Berlin that these drills will be central to the Quadriga exercise series.

The initiative is designed to strengthen deterrence capabilities and enhance the operational preparedness of the allied forces taking part.

“Russian President Putin is watching us. His plans extend beyond Ukraine.

As armed forces, we must prepare for this,” General Breuer stated, emphasizing that the participating troops will concentrate on addressing both hybrid and traditional military threats.

According to Breuer, the exercise includes 8,000 soldiers representing 14 countries, along with 40 naval vessels, 30 aircraft, and more than 1,800 vehicles.

"We will practice transporting troops and equipment to Lithuania by sea, land, and air," he informed the press.

General Breuer also highlighted possible friction with Russia, which is set to conduct its joint military exercise "Zapad" alongside Belarus in two weeks near Lithuania, a NATO member state.

"Some parts of Quadriga will inevitably overlap with Zapad," he explained, noting that both drills will occur in rapid sequence with forces operating in close proximity.

He concluded by stressing, "And I would like to emphasize once again that we want to deter, we do not want escalation. We are practicing defense exclusively."

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