About 20,000 troops from nine NATO member countries are partaking in exercises to cross the Vistula River, Poland’s longest river, on Monday, as part of a significant military drill.
The “Dragon 24” exercises are set to take place near the town of Korzeniowo, roughly 100 kilometers south of the city of Gdansk, with Poland contributing around 15,000 soldiers to the maneuvers, according to Warsaw.
The Polish Armed Forces stated that the river crossing, involving the construction of a pontoon bridge, aims to test the collaborative capabilities of land, naval, air, and electronic forces during a major military crisis.
Poland, a staunch supporter of Ukraine amid its current crisis and a host to nearly one million Ukrainian refugees, also serves as a logistical hub for Western military aid.
As a member of both the European Union and NATO, Poland has recently invested heavily in modern weapon systems, allocating about 4% of its GDP to defense.
The “Dragon 24” maneuvers are part of the larger “Defender Europe” exercises currently being conducted by NATO on its eastern flank, marking the alliance’s largest military drill since the Cold War.
