Global Update
BREAKING NEWS…… GERMAN AND POLISH MILITARY FORCES CROSS LITHUANIAN BORDER
In an unprecedented move forces from the German 10th Panzer Division (Bundeswehr) and the Polish 11th Armoured Cavalry Division crossed the Polish border into Lithuania at the small border crossing of Sadzawki. The joint force is reported to be moving north, through Lithuania, towards the Lithuanian / Latvian border. The main E67 highway running south to north is reported to be closed to the public as the military forces transport their heavy armoured equipment through the country.
The Lithuanian government have issued a statement ‘As a member state of NATO and an ally of the rightful government of Estonia we have agreed to the Polish and German forces using Lithuania as a staging post to secure the northern borders of our own country and supporting the Estonian military against the aggression of the Federation of Russia.
Feelings across the country are mixed, with locals to the north breathing a sigh of relief hoping that the NATO force will act as a barrier to the conflict in Latvia, whilst some senior citizens and pro-Russian groups talk of German invasion and display Swastikas.
Further north in the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga the joint US & UK Task Force, under the command of Colonel James Forsyth, 7th Cavalry, remain stationed on the Estonian islands of Saaremaa and Hiivama. Russian forces have made no attempt to retake the coastal islands however it is understood armoured forces continue to head west towards the coast.
With further NATO states now appearing to join the conflict there is grave concern across the UN that the situation may quickly escalate. Neither Putin nor the heads of state of the NATO countries seem to be willing to back down.
What next…. insights from military historian and analyst Professor Richard Gabriel of Saint Anselm College
Estonia is a coastal country flanked by the Baltic Sea to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the north. Its southern border is with Latvia and it’s eastern, Russia. As NATO amasses forces in the coastal islands to the west and on the countries southern borders it would appear that NATO has the upper hand, especially as much of the eastern border is split by Lake Pskov. The advantage the Russian military has is that Estonia is on its own borders. This allows it to move men and machinery very quickly and it is believed that the Russian force may be as much as 60,000 strong. The Russian military also has a lot of heavy armour, far outweighing what the NATO forces have available. Whilst historically NATO tanks and equipment were far superior to Russian, the gap today is not so large. What is not known is what that gap looks like on a real battlefield.
Polish and German forces appear to be moving north through Lithuania on the E67. This is one of the main highways on the western side of the Baltic States, running along the coast of Latvia and Estonia all the way to the northern Estonian city of Tallinn. It is likely that this will be a key objective for NATO forces, with Task Force 49 ideally positioned to strike directly for this arterial road. The coming weeks, both politically and militarily, will be key to what happens in this drastically spiralling conflict.