'This Is How Deterrence Works' Against Russia
Newser • • world
Key Points:
- Estonia is proactively preparing for potential Russian aggression by conducting evacuation drills, planning shelters for 100,000 people, and training kindergarten heads in crisis response, while also involving high schoolers in drone training.
- NATO troops from the UK and France have participated in large-scale exercises in eastern Estonia to demonstrate support and deter any Russian advances.
- Estonia plans to increase its defense spending to about 5.4% of GDP by 2030, focusing on air defenses, drones, and US-made rocket systems instead of traditional armored vehicles.
- The country has established a drone-training center and integrated civilian volunteers into a tech-savvy defense force, drawing lessons from the conflict in Ukraine to enhance deterrence.
- NATO is also preparing to improve infrastructure in Estonia and Latvia to facilitate rapid troop deployment, reflecting concerns over increasingly intense and systematic Russian threats in the Baltic region.