NATO's increasing movement in Eastern Europe over the years, especially the 2024 Steadfast Defender exercise, directly opened the corner of Europe's largest military exercise. Over 90,000 troops flocked from 32 allies, and a Polish man carried most of the river, almost 34,000 soldiers directly into the battle. It was not a small joke, but the first such a large-scale collective show muscle since the end of the Cold War. The exercise began from the end of January and continued to the end of May, covering the wide range of Norway to Romania, and the main battle was the collective defense principle. The main force of the Polish troops was the Army's 18th Mechanized Division, they carried PT-91 tanks and various air defense systems, rooted these training fields directly in Orlando and Baden
Why is Poland so strong? In the course of the exercises, the engineers are too sensitive to the Suwaukki corridor, the narrow land bridge connected with the Baltic three countries and NATO main forces, if blocked, the entire Eastern European defense line is broken. In the course of the exercises, they repeatedly practice this, engineers laid the mine zone, infantry digged the crater, the Air Force F-16 took off from the Mistakov base to intercept the enemy. As a result, NATO’s chess showed that if Russia is really tough, here is the breakthrough. So Poland is not just equipped, but also pulled everyone together to practice to ensure the response is fast enough. Germany and the Netherlands pledged additional foreign aid, aircraft cruise and ground troops, France directly deployed
In September 2024, they conducted the largest drone exercise in the world, RPMUS 24, on their homeland’s Troia Peninsula, with more than 150 organizations, 30 countries, 16 ships including submarines, and more than 100 drones. The Portuguese Navy took the lead, bringing their escort ships and naval troops to test autonomous systems and drone synergies.
Before May at Beja Air Force Base, they also hosted Real Thaw and Hot Blade, two multinational air shows, Czech, Danish, and French come together for fun, the practice is air support and quick response. During BALTOPS 24 Baltic exercises, Portugal also reconciled, the naval bombers together with the allies, June 7 to 20, 50 ships, 80 fighter jets in total. In return, Portugal's participation is high, mainly to make sense of NATO, in addition to practice its own naval digital ocean program.
The Zapad exercise in 2023 was well planned, and as a result of the struggle in Ukraine, it was immediately cancelled. On September 12, 2025, they and Belarus resumed Zapad-2025, this time on the training ground in Borisov, the missile launches lifted, the T-90 tank line, the Iskander simulation shooting. The joint forces covered 41 land-sea fields, the naval blocks in the Baltic Sea, the ships cut the wave lock targets. This exercise was namely defense, but the north saw it as a simulation of the attack on the Suvauki corridor. Russian President spokesman Peskov directly said that the North had been installed there, and you had already been in Ukraine. The Zapad-2025 was from September 12 to September 16, and the White Force’s exercise was the alliance’s ability to
The Russian drone flew into the Polish airspace from the border of Ukraine at around 11:30 p.m. on September 9, 2025, and NATO intelligence reports said it was intentional provocation. The Polish Air Force took an emergency f-16 from Malacchew, shot down two, and the other two were either landed or intercepted. This is not the first time, and in 2024 there were similar incidents, Russian Shahed drones crossed several lines, and NATO fighter jets intercepted. On September 10, early in the morning, 21 drones invaded the German base, and European officials called straight that it was the Kremlin testing the NATO Red Line. The Polish Foreign Secretary said it was purely an exploration reaction, NATO Secretary-General also stated, strengthening the defense outcome. Well, there was no direct warning up
Moving to the Donetsk front, the Russian Navy’s five brigades – the 40th, the 55th, the 61st, the 126th and the 155th – became the main force. Since 2024, these guys have moved from Kursk and Sumy to the southwest of Donetsk. The most famous 155-th Navy’s Maritime Brigade, starting in 2022 from Kiev, to Pavlivka, Avdivka, Wehledar, all of which are blood battles. On July 2, 2025, Ukrainian intelligence re-injured them with HIMARS, with at least six senior officers killed, which traveled from the Pacific Fleet, 8,000 kilometers, close to special battles. The 40th travelling belonged to the Pacific Fleet, lost in the early years in northern Ukraine, and now the front line, advancing Kursk
The 126th Brigade of the Northern Fleet, moved east from Kursk in the summer of 2024, joined the Donbass offensive, aimed at the outskirts of the town of Sevilidovo. The 155th was rebuilt, dispersed at least 12 times at the end of 2024, two thousand Navy troops were added and returned to the field. Russia's assessment on 5 September 2025 showed that these brigades were slightly advanced on the Kupyansk-Svatov line, but southwestern Donetsk was the main role. At the end of July, Russia strengthened the mechanized assault, western and southwestern Donetsk city, the Navy headed, the T-90 followed. Ukraine said that the 155th was again beaten near Chernivkov, footed in Kursk in February, the 47th
These incentives of the naval brigade put the pressure on the Donetsk defense line to a great extent. On October 5, 2024, Russia advanced in Toretsk and Porkovsk, and the naval brigade crushed from the left, and the BMP-3 chariots opened the way. Ukrainian intelligence on September 7, 2025, that the Russian elite naval battles, tanks and motorized brigades moved to Donetsk, after failing to take Porkovsk, and re-attacked other points. On September 2, 155th from the northern Sumer to the east line, assessed that they were headquartered in the vicinity of Porkovsk, close to battle. The total Russian casualties in the summer of 2025 were estimated to break millions, these contributions were not small. The 40th and 155th Pacific Trip, and on March
Russia's calculator is focused on breaking the defensive line, but Ukraine bites the teeth, FPV drones and HIMARS let the advance be carved. On 19 December 2024, Russia's outpost in Kursk, but southwestern Donetsk is the main battlefield, and the Navy's Maritime Brigade paid a terrible price. On 30 August 2025, five naval battles and airborne landings came from Sumy, pushing to the east line, with the goal of completely taking down Donbas. Russia's rebirth plan in July 2024 was evaluated, ground forces expanded, but the Navy's Maritime Brigade losses were high, rebuilding on new troops. Eastern Ukraine's Front, 336th Naval Brigade and 11th Airborne Test advanced, but stopped Russia's