British and NATO troops preparing for possible Russia invasion as thousands travel to Europe

Troops person travelled to Romania and Bulgaria to enactment successful NATO cognition Steadfast Dart, which ministers anticipation volition service arsenic a invaluable proving crushed for the British Army

British troops are travelling en masse to continental Europe to enactment successful large NATO-led drills designed to wargame wide mobilisation, amid threats that Russia could onslaught allied nations.

Thousands of soldiers and transports person been dispatched East to instrumentality portion successful the monolithic drills that volition autumn implicit much than a month, including the day marking the day of Russia's penetration of Ukraine. Around 2,500 serving unit are taking portion successful the drills, which started past week and volition past until beyond the cardinal day connected February 24.

Known arsenic Steadfast Dart, oregon STDT25, NATO states the cognition volition "test and bid the operational deployment and reinforcement of 2024 Allied Reaction Force (ARF)". While the organisation notes it volition instrumentality spot "under peacetime condition", it volition beryllium carried retired successful 2 Eastern European nations that borderline Russia, which apical subject figures person warned is preparing to attack.

Troops are participating successful STDT25 successful Romania and Bulgaria, wherever they volition "focus connected the readying and execution of a pre-crisis multi-domain activity" and reenforce allied forces successful some nations. The British convoy travelled to the nations successful a "hefty undertaking", British Army Second Lieutenant Alex Coleman told the PA quality agency, that volition amusement what the subject and NATO "are susceptible of".

The convoy has travelled done aggregate nations, including the Netherlands, Germany and Slovakia, earlier pausing successful Hungary and yet landing successful Romania, wherever they are owed to transportation retired combat drills. They travel caller warnings from apical German subject officials, who person said Russian despot Vladimir Putin is rearming his state astatine a accelerated rate, and could beryllium preparing to onslaught a NATO nation.

German Major General Christian Freuding said successful a connection that the Russian equipped forces are "successfully rearming" contempt monolithic losses successful Ukraine. He said: "The Russian equipped forces are not conscionable capable to compensate for the tremendous unit and worldly losses, they are successfully rearming."

The subject main added that, portion it isn't evident whether Putin has contiguous plans to lash retired against a NATO subordinate state, the confrontation is connected the cards. He said the Russian premier was "clearly creating the conditions" for a clash, noting: "Production is growing, the supplies successful the depots are growing."

The UK plans to usage Steadfast Dart, which concludes connected February 26, to show it is susceptible of starring the absorption against Russia, equipped forces curate Luke Pollard said earlier this month. He said successful a connection that the Government aims to marque the federation the starring European unit successful NATO.

He said: "Exercise Steadfast Dart demonstrates our unshakeable committedness to Nato and highlights the UK's cardinal enactment relation successful the alliance. As we attack the three-year day of Russia's amerciable full-scale penetration of Ukraine, we indispensable proceed to fortify our corporate defences unneurotic to deter Putin effectively."