LONDON, March 18 (Xinhua) -- One of the biggest deployments of British troops in decades to eastern Europe has seen the arrival of around 120 soldiers in Estonia, the Ministry of Defense (MOD) announced Saturday.
Britain's Defense Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said the deployment was "in the face of an increasingly assertive Russia."
Soldiers from the British Army's 5th Battalion The Rifles Battlegroup (5 RIFLES), including members of an Armoured Engineer Squadron, Military Police Detachment, Artillery Group and Port Task Group, arrived Friday night at the Amari airbase, the MOD said.
An MOD spokesman said: "The 120 soldiers are fundamental to setting up a UK headquarters in the country before the rest of the UK deployment arrives next month, increasing the total number of troops in Estonia to around 800."
"Britain is taking a leading role in NATO's enhanced Forward Presence, alongside several other contributing nations. The deployments are designed to assure NATO allies of the mutual commitment to collective European security," the spokesman said.
