Large-scale military exercises Spring Storm 2026 have begun in Estonia and will last nearly a month.
The start of the exercises was reported by Estonian broadcaster ERR.
Over 12,000 military personnel from Estonia and allied countries will participate in the peak phase of the maneuvers.
The goal of the exercises is to practice planning and conducting defensive operations in a conventional warfare scenario alongside the Estonian division and NATO forces.
The key units being evaluated are the 2nd Infantry Brigade and the Southern Defense District of the Kaitseliit volunteer force.
The exercises will run from May 4 to June 1 and will cover the southern regions of Estonia, as well as northeastern Latvia.
The inclusion of Latvian territory allows for the practice of cross-border operations and allied cooperation in the border zone.
Units from the United Kingdom, France, the United States, Germany, Poland, Canada, Ukraine, and other partner countries are participating in the exercises.
The rapid deployment and integration of the 4th Brigade from the United Kingdom into the Estonian division is being practiced separately.
The exercise scenario incorporates lessons learned from Russia’s war against Ukraine, particularly the use of drones and modern weapons systems.
As part of the maneuvers, new defense industry solutions are being tested under conditions as close to combat as possible.
The exercises will take place in several stages — from the command-and-staff phase to live-fire exercises at the Defense Forces’ Central Training Range.
The active phase includes flights by fighter jets, attack aircraft, and UAVs, particularly at low altitudes, as well as the movement of military convoys on public roads.
Recently, Ukrainian instructors began training German military personnel at Bundeswehr training centers.
