German troops practise moving reinforcements into Estonia

Germany’s military is practising how to bring additional forces into Estonia, with Bundeswehr convoys expected on the roads during the 10-day Brave Blue 26 exercise, ERR reports. The exercise began last Friday and is being held in Estonia for the first time, after previous editions in Lithuania and Latvia.

Germany’s Fourth Logistics Regiment has not disclosed how many soldiers and vehicles will move through Estonia or where they will go. The troops are practising how to reinforce German units stationed in the Baltic countries in a crisis.

Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Eberhardt, commander of the regiment, said the deployment to Estonia used several forms of transport. Troops travelled by air, while vehicles came by land and through a port. Heavy equipment was loaded onto a ferry and brought to Estonia.

During the exercise, the regiment will set up command posts and test communications and logistics. Eberhardt said the unit had operated mainly in western Estonia, where the Estonian Defence Forces provided barracks for accommodation. Away from military bases, the German soldiers carried out terrain reconnaissance and familiarised themselves with local conditions, including the region’s marshy landscape.

The exercise is preparing for a major logistics exercise planned for next year in Lithuania and Latvia. It is not yet known when German convoys will next take part in an exercise in Estonia.