UK personnel arrive in Poland, MoD confirms

150 UK personnel have travelled from their base in Catterick Garrison to arrive in Orzysz, Poland as part the UK commitment to NATO’s Enhanced Forward Presence in Eastern Europe, taking the total deployment in the region to nearly 1,000.

The regiment will be based in Poland for at least six months, when they will be replaced by another unit to carry on our enduring commitment to the region. Meanwhile the arrival of the remaining UK personnel into Estonia this week, forming part of a nearly 800-strong British-led battle group, means nearly 1000 troops are providing deterrence in Eastern Europe.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Defence, soldiers from five Rifles battle group, based in Bulford, Wiltshire and The Queen’s Royal Hussars, based in Paderborn, Germany, have travelled to Estonia to work under the command of
Lieutenant Colonel Mark Wilson.

The commitments in the Baltic region will be augmented by the deployment of RAF Typhoon aircraft to Romania later this year, to carry out a NATO Air Policing mission in the Black Sea.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said: “The UK is stepping up its support for NATO’s collective defence through our deployments across the alliance.

“British personnel are playing a leading role in NATO: delivering deterrence and defence in Estonia and Poland and air policing in Romania underlines our commitment to the security of Europe.”