Steadfast Defender 24 – NATO’s largest exercise since the Cold War – has commenced in the Baltic with more than 90,000 troops military drills in seven countries from the Arctic to the Mediterranean. Both the UK and USA forming parts of the rapid response units which will respond to Russian aggression in the Baltic with White House national security spokesperson John Kirby warning “It is possible that Russia will make further advances in the coming weeks.”

The extreme North of Europe is coming under greater scrutiny as the possibility of a North passage opens above Russia and Russian paratroopers carrying out the first ever Arctic parachute descent four years ago, using oxygen and jumping from an Ilyushin troop transporter at 30,000 feet. 

Britain – which has not carried out parachute warfare since the Suez crisis of 1956 – lead a force of more than 2,300 soldiers, their paratroopers jumping from C-17 Globemaster over Estonia.

Also unleashed by the British at Estonia’s Kiltsi’s airfield was the ‘70km Sniper.’ Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur addressed the Press at the airfield with a clear message for Vladimir Putin: “Don’t even think about attacking NATO countries because we are all together in this and we are defending our alliance.”

The exercises follow an incident early this month where Polish fighter jets intercepted and escorted a Russian Il-20 in neutral airspace over the Baltic. 

Poland have also reported the capture of a Russian spy, betrayed by documents on his person after he crossed the border from Belarus disguised as a refugee, and Warsaw have also launched their F-16 fighters in response to a renewed bombardment in the Ukraine on May 8th, involving 55 missiles. 

“Tonight, intensive activity of Russia’s long-range aviation is being observed, connected with the launching missile strikes on targets on the territory of Ukraine. All the necessary protocols to ensure the safety of Polish airspace have been activated,” read a report by the Operational Command of Poland’s Armed Forces.