International Military Engineers Training Commences in Lithuania

In Lithuania, international military engineers training "Engineering Thunder-2023" is set to kick off on Monday. According to a statement from the Lithuanian Army, these exercises will run until September 15, as reported by the Delfi portal.

Representatives from NATO partner countries will participate in these training sessions. This year's event will see the participation of over 900 servicemen from various countries, including Belgium, the Czech Republic, Estonia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Latvia, Poland, and Hungary.

The Lithuanian Army emphasizes that the primary goal of these exercises is to prepare military personnel for tasks related to engineering support, ensuring infantry maneuvers, uniting different engineering units of the Ground Forces for joint cooperation, and enhancing interaction.

The venue for these exercises will be the General Sylvester Zukauskas Training Range in Pabrade, where military personnel will engage in situational exercises, set up explosive and non-explosive obstacles, install roadblocks, and demonstrate skills in protection against nuclear, biological, and chemical threats, among other engineering tasks.

During the training period, there will be increased activity of military equipment on both military and civilian territories. The use of simulated munitions and pyrotechnic devices is also planned.

It's worth noting that Commander-in-Chief of the German Navy, Jan Christian Kaack, announced upcoming military exercises in the Baltic Sea. These exercises, known as "Northern Coasts," are scheduled to start on September 9 and will last for two weeks. Military personnel from all NATO countries with access to the Baltic Sea, as well as Sweden, the United States, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, will participate. One of the key priorities of the exercises will be ensuring the security of maritime routes through the Baltic Sea, particularly those passing near the coastlines of Latvia and Estonia.

The maneuvers will include amphibious operations, including naval assaults and amphibious landings. To support these activities, the United States has deployed the USS Mesa Verde, a more than 200-meter-long amphibious dock landing ship designed for transporting and deploying around 800 Marines.