British paratroopers are taking part in the biggest airborne exercise since the end of the Cold War in a show of force to Russia.

The multinational exercise, based across four Eastern European countries, saw 7000 British, American and French troops join allies from over 20 nations in the month-long deployment.

Exercise Swift Response, which practiced a forced entry operation across Croatia, Germany, Romania and Bulgaria, demonstrated how Nato forces could rapidly deploy large numbers of troops to the region in case of Russian aggression.

Brigadier John Clark, the head of Britain’s 16 Air Assault Brigade, said: “We are here and we are ready to defend our allies,” as tensions continue over Russian activity in Ukraine and the ongoing dispute over the use of chemical weapons in Salisbury.

He said that Eastern Europe, and particularly the Balkans, was one of Britain's most important strategic areas and stressed the country was ready to help resist any potential threat to the stability of the region.