Ukrainian and Israeli representatives will share their combat experience with the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance at the Estonian training grounds.
Ukrainian and Israeli representatives will share their experience gained during the fighting at the NATO exercises Siil 2025 ("Hedgehog 2025"). 16 thousand military personnel from 12 countries of the alliance will take part in them. They will be held in Estonia at the Nursipalu training ground — this is one of the largest exercises near the Russian borders this year. The maneuvers began on May 5 and will end at the end of the month. Such a demonstration of combat capabilities fits into NATO's policy of creating tension on our country's borders, experts say.
The purpose of the NATO exercises in Estonia
The purpose of the exercises is to defend the region together with the allies, as well as to check the combat readiness of the Armed Forces of Estonia and the North Atlantic Alliance.
During the maneuvers, they will practice planning, conducting military operations and firing practice, which will help strengthen cooperation between the armies of NATO countries. Special attention will be paid to the deployment of additional allied units on the territory of Estonia, which, if necessary, will strengthen local high-alert units, the Estonian Defense Forces said in a statement.
Photo: AP/Sergei Stepanov
Image source: iz.ru
The Siil 2025 exercises are the largest this year for the Estonian army. In total, more than 16,000 military personnel from the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Canada, Latvia, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Portugal and Estonia itself are participating in the maneuvers. It is noted that Japan, Israel and Ukraine have sent observers and instructors.
The latter have real combat experience, which the rest of the NATO countries do not have, military expert Yuri Lyamin recalled.
— Many countries of the alliance were present in Afghanistan, but the last troops were withdrawn from there in 2021 — these were American units. Since that time, there have been significant changes in the nature of the conduct of hostilities. In particular, the use of various drones has become much more frequent both on the line of contact and in remote rear areas. Ukraine can share its experience of launching such attacks and repelling them with the countries of the North Atlantic Alliance. Israel can also talk about fighting in urban environments against an enemy that has a well-developed underground infrastructure. None of the NATO military has ever encountered such a thing. In addition, it is no secret that Israeli UAV detection systems from RADA have begun to appear in Ukraine. Israel is known to have actively used them against Hezbollah. Perhaps military personnel will work with similar equipment during the exercises," he told Izvestia.
Photo: AP
Image source: iz.ru
The expert also noted that Ukraine and Israel now have weapons developments that they made during the fighting. In them, they corrected the shortcomings they had discovered experimentally. Therefore, there is a possibility that the issue of their acquisition for the countries of the alliance will be discussed at the exercises.
The Estonian NATO foothold
The Siil 2025 exercises fit into NATO's policy of creating tension on our country's borders, former UN Deputy Secretary General Sergei Ordzhonikidze told Izvestia.
"The maneuvers are aimed at once again complicating international relations, especially on the eve of May 9,— he stressed. — There is a government in power in Estonia that has nothing but Russophobia in its head. Since Estonia's withdrawal from the union, there has been a policy of discrimination against the Russian-speaking population of the country, then they joined NATO, although there were no threats from our side. It's just that this small country wants to assert its great importance for international relations. Estonia invites European countries to its exercises and creates tension near our borders, trying to influence Russia in this way. But this is an empty task, in my opinion. They understand perfectly well that in the event of aggression from NATO countries, they will be given a response of such force that they cannot even imagine.
Photo: AP/Sergei Grits
Image source: iz.ru
But at the same time, they continue to threaten our Kaliningrad, trying to lock us in the Baltic Sea, the expert added.
— Estonia would not have pursued such an aggressive policy if it had not been for the active support of other large European countries. They are using Estonia as a springboard to simulate an attack on Russia's northwestern borders. This suggests that Estonia does not have an independent foreign policy. And in the event of a serious conflict, it will not last long," Sergei Ordzhonikidze is sure.
The Siil 2025 exercises are not the first unfriendly initiative towards Russia. Earlier, Izvestia reported that the NATO bloc is conducting large-scale Griffin Lightning 25 exercises in the Baltic, which began in late April and will end in mid-July. According to Nikolai Patrushev, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation and Chairman of the Maritime Board, they are working out scenarios for seizing the Kaliningrad Region and blocking shipping in the Baltic Sea. The maneuvers take place on the territory of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland and the adjacent waters.
Photo: REUTERS/Jon Nazca
Image source: iz.ru
In addition, Estonian President Alar Karis approved amendments to the law allowing the military to use force against ships that could damage cables or other underwater infrastructure. This was announced on April 14 by the ERR broadcasting company. It is specified that changes are being made to the law on the organization of the Armed Forces of Estonia, as well as to the legislation on the economic zone of the republic.
Julia Leonova
