UK armed forces to take part in joint operations to reassure allies in eastern Europe, says defence secretary Philip Hammond

This article is more than 6 years old

This article is more than 6 years old

A Royal Navy warship has been deployed to the Baltic Sea for a military exercise amid continuing tensions with Russia over Ukraine.

British armed forces are to take part in three operations in the region to provide reassurance to allies in eastern Europe, the defence secretary, Philip Hammond, said.

HMS Montrose will take part in Baltops, the largest multinational naval exercise in the Baltic sea this year, to improve maritime security in the region, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

Monday's event aims to enhance coordination and cooperation among Baltic Sea countries, the MoD added.

More than 100 soldiers have also been deployed to Estonia and Latvia for a live-fire training exercise called Sabre Strike. The soldiers from 1st Battalion the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment will take part in the test on Sunday, along with 12 artillery and engineer experts, and two exercise controllers in the Adazi training area near the Latvian capital, Riga.

Military personnel from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Norway are involved, along with 580 US servicemen and women.

Meanwhile, about 200 British infantry troops will take part in the live-fire exercise Anakonda in Poland in September, the MoD said.

The RAF has already sent four Typhoons to join Nato's air policing mission over its Baltic member countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

Troops from 1st Battalion the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment recently worked alongside their Estonian counterparts on Exercise Steadfast Javelin.

Hammond said: "The situation in Ukraine continues to be of great concern to the international community and it is right that Nato members and partners publicly demonstrate our commitment to the collective security of our Nato allies.

"The UK continues to play a central role in providing reassurance to our allies in eastern Europe and the Baltic states.

"Our contribution to these exercises builds on other action we have taken, including the deployment of RAF Typhoons to the Nato air policing mission in the Baltic states."