Drone footage of NATO drills in Poland's Suwalki Gap
- last year
NATO forces took part in drills in northern Poland on Friday (November 25), an area of crucial significance to the security of the alliance's eastern flank.
The TUMAK- 22 exercises involve 2,000 soldiers from land and air forces, the Polish Ministry of Defence said. They also involved more than 1,000 pieces of combat and logistical support equipment.
On a snowy day, drills included practising crossing water and landing. Explosions rang out at Lake Kepno near the village of Klusy as a simulated attack began.
The drill saw dozens of Polish and allied soldiers cross the water with military vehicles on amphibious transporters, while U.S. troops in Abrams tanks simulated chasing the enemy.
"As part of these drills there were exercises that... were formulated based on our experience and observation of the battlefield in Ukraine," said Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak. "We know what methods Russia uses and what methods of defence are effective."
Blaszczak also took a swipe at Berlin by saying he was surprised by the idea that the German Patriots might be too advanced to be transferred to Ukraine.
"German patriots are the old version from the 80s., so you cannot say that they are technologically advanced. Polish Patriots are the newest," he said.
The Suwalki Gap, a sparsely populated area of Polish territory lying between Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, is of strategic importance because its takeover by Russia would isolate the Baltic states from the rest of NATO.
Poland has been beefing up its armed forces in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and plans to raise defence spending to 3% of gross domestic product (GDP).
The TUMAK- 22 exercises involve 2,000 soldiers from land and air forces, the Polish Ministry of Defence said. They also involved more than 1,000 pieces of combat and logistical support equipment.
On a snowy day, drills included practising crossing water and landing. Explosions rang out at Lake Kepno near the village of Klusy as a simulated attack began.
The drill saw dozens of Polish and allied soldiers cross the water with military vehicles on amphibious transporters, while U.S. troops in Abrams tanks simulated chasing the enemy.
"As part of these drills there were exercises that... were formulated based on our experience and observation of the battlefield in Ukraine," said Polish Defence Minister Mariusz Blaszczak. "We know what methods Russia uses and what methods of defence are effective."
Blaszczak also took a swipe at Berlin by saying he was surprised by the idea that the German Patriots might be too advanced to be transferred to Ukraine.
"German patriots are the old version from the 80s., so you cannot say that they are technologically advanced. Polish Patriots are the newest," he said.
The Suwalki Gap, a sparsely populated area of Polish territory lying between Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, is of strategic importance because its takeover by Russia would isolate the Baltic states from the rest of NATO.
Poland has been beefing up its armed forces in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and plans to raise defence spending to 3% of gross domestic product (GDP).