Approximately 20,000 soldiers from ten NATO member countries are set to cross the Vistula River, Poland’s longest river, on Monday as part of an exercise aimed at deterring Russia.
The “Dragon 24” exercises are scheduled to take place near the town of Korzennyovo, roughly 100 kilometers south of Gdansk, with Poland contributing around 15,000 troops to the drills, according to Warsaw.
The Polish Armed Forces stated that the river crossing, including the construction of a pontoon bridge, would test the ability of land, naval, air, and electronic forces to work together during a significant military crisis.
This comes amid increasing warnings from European officials that Russia may be preparing to test the solidarity of NATO allies in the coming years.
The debate over the Western alliance’s readiness for war has gained momentum following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine over two years ago.
In addition to being one of Ukraine‘s strongest supporters, Poland has welcomed nearly a million war refugees from its eastern neighbor and serves as a logistical hub for Western military aid.
As a member of both the European Union (EU) and NATO, Poland feels particularly threatened by Russia due to its geographical location.
Many Poles express concerns that they may one day face a fate similar to that of the Ukrainian people.
Over the past day, there have been 68 instances of conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russian troops along the front lines.
This was reported by the Ukrainian Armed Forces General Staff, as per Ukrinform’s latest update on the situation.
The Ukrainian Air Force launched strikes on seven groups of Russian soldiers during the day.
Meanwhile, Russia conducted 5 missile attacks, 44 air raids, and 54 assaults with rocket launch systems targeting Ukrainian military positions and civilian areas. The total count of military clashes for the day stood at 68.
