90 thousand soldiers to simulate a Russian attack. “Let's prepare for the unexpected” – Corriere.it

Not only the numbers, but even the statements. The statements are a cold war. NATO is preparing to hold a major military exerciseSuch as we have not seen since the days of the Iron Curtain. he is called “Standing Defender 2024”i.e. a firm and inflexible defender. It will start next week and continue until MayAbout 90,000 soldiers participate in it, and the latest methods are deployed, such as Aircraft, air surveillance systems, drones, heavy artillery, ships and submarines.

And A kind of rehearsal: NATO's rapid response in the event of a Russian attack Against one of the 31 member states (soon to be 32 with the entry of Sweden). for this occasion Thousands of soldiers coming directly from the United States will land in Europe. The British commitment was also enormous: 20,000 men and women in uniform.

It is not yet clear where exactly the maneuvers will take place. From NATO headquarters in Brussels, they limited themselves to quoting one of these reports The vast eastern central region including Germany, Poland, Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania. According to other sources, the simulations will also focus on the so-called “Sawaliki Corridor”, A strip of land along the border between Poland and Lithuania, located between Belarus and the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, overlooking the Baltic Sea..

It is not a coincidence what the German newspaper said last Monday, January 15 Bild It revealed a secret report prepared by the Ministry of Defense explaining how to do this The Kremlin was moving its forces into Belarus in preparation for a possible attackWithin a year, directly at the “Sawaliki Corridor.” The hypothesis was rejected as “Nonsense”“See the end of the year” by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

But in NATO, they take potential Russian threats seriously. Of course, the scenario is conditional on developments in the conflict in Ukraine. This was said by American General Chris Cavoli, commander of the Allied Forces in Europe “Steadfast Defender 2024 will demonstrate NATO’s ability to enhance the movement of resources and vehicles from North America to Europe.”. Dutch Admiral Rob Bauer, Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, which met in Brussels on Wednesday the 17th and today, Thursday the 18th, warned: “Western countries should expect the unexpected. “If we want to be truly effective, even in the future, we must prepare NATO for war.” Again: “It is necessary for public and private actors to change their mentality. We are moving from an era in which everything was plannable, predictable, “It can be controlled, to an age where anything can happen at any moment.”