US troops start 1,700-km march from Estonia to Germany
US forces have begun a road march in two columns from Estonia to Germany to demonstrate their army hardware in the countries on their way.
On Saturday, the march, involving the United States 2nd Cavalry Regiment's Stryker infantry troop, began in Estonia, according to a spokesperson for the main headquarters of the Estonian Defense Forces.
One hundred and fifty personnel are taking part in the march along with 40 pieces of equipment, including Stryker armored vehicles, support vehicles, and escorting aircraft, the Associated Press reported.
Having set out from Estonia, the troops are moving through Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and the Czech Republic until they arrive in their home base in Vilseck, Germany at the end of the 1,700-kilometer march.
On the way, they will be joined by other American troops stationed in the continent.
The march which is part of Operation Atlantic Resolve aims at demonstration of the US military might in the wake of the crisis in Ukraine.
The troops will be making stops in the countries on their way to demonstrate their military equipment.
Lieutenant colonel Craig Childs, a spokesman for the US Army in Europe (USAREUR), said the march aims at testing “unit maintenance and leadership capabilities while simultaneously providing a highly visible demonstration of US commitment to its NATO allies and demonstrating NATO's ability to move military forces freely across allied borders in close cooperation."
Earlier this week, Moscow put all Russian forces on high alert, announcing a massive surprise military drill in the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, the Arctic and the Far East.
Tensions between the Western powers and Moscow has heightened since a pro-Russia protest began in eastern Ukraine in April 2014.
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