Illustrative stock photo (source: SME)
Slovaks operating in the Štefánik military group in Latvia are currently taking part in the 2017 Summer Shield multinational military training exercise, Defence Ministry spokesperson Danka Capáková told the TASR newswire on April 19.
The tactical military event, which falls under NATO exercises, is taking place at the Adazi training area between April 17 and 30, with participating soldiers from Latvia, USA, Canada, Lithuania, Germany, Denmark, Estonia, Luxembourg, Romania, Bulgaria and Sweden.
This year’s training event focuses on practising the reconnaissance, anti-tank and artillery capabilities of the units. Meanwhile, the presence of allied troops in the Baltic region is attracting public attention. As a result, Latvia as a host country has prepared an open-house day at the Adazi military base, so that the public can see the machinery used in Latvia.
A total of 149 Slovak soldiers are currently present in Latvia, forming part of the country’s commitment vis-a-vis the decision taken at the NATO summit in Warsaw in 2016.
