Britain is sending hundreds more troops to Eastern Europe to bolster defences against Russian aggression in the region, the Mirror can reveal.
Soldiers from The Rifles regiment deploy to Estonia in June to replace the Royal Tank Regiment - and UK forces will also form two new HQs in the Baltics.
The move comes as Moscow is stepping up devastating artillery strikes across the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, many of them aimed at civilian areas.
More than a dozen civilians died overnight in Donbas from multiple strikes as more heavily wounded non-combatants were evacuated from stricken Mariupol.
Ukraine’s President Zelensky said: “The Donbas is completely destroyed. It is hell - that is not an exaggeration.”
The Mirror can reveal the Rifles being sent to Estonia marks a step-change in the UK’s commitment to protecting Baltic state NATO fellow members.
It marks a significant increase in the numbers of UK soldiers in the region, many of them training local forces but also acting as a buffer against Russia ’s next move.
It is feared Russian President Vladimir Putin could move attacks closer to NATO countries following applications to join the alliance by Sweden and Finland.
Yesterday the MoD told the Daily Mirror: “
“The Prime Minister announced in February that we would temporarily double our presence in Estonia by deploying a second battlegroup.
“As Russia continues to wage an illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine,
The Defence Secretary has extended our increased presence in Estonia for a further period of up to six months.
“2 RIFLES battlegroup will deploy next month to relieve the Royal Tank Regiment, who will return to the UK.”
In addition the UK today (Fri) announced it has formed a major new military HQ - the Standing Joint Force Headquarters to support the British and wider NATO effort in eastern Europe.
Usually this is based in Northwood, London but it has new HQs based in two locations in Lithuania and Latvia.
These bases will be swapping intelligence and making military plans along with senior officers from Denmark, Estonia, Finland and Sweden.
It means a further 180 senior soldiers and officers will be based at the new HQs in Vilnius, in Lithuania and in Riga, in Latvia.
Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “This vital deployment demonstrates our defensive partnerships within the ten nation alliance of the Joint Expeditionary Force.
“The JEF represents a shared commitment with like-minded counties for the security and stability of Europe at this pivotal time”
Commander of the Standing Joint Force Headquarters Major General Jim Morris said: “The men and women from across our UK Armed Forces and our JEF partners are supported by experts from across government and academia and are well prepared for this deployment which comes at a critical time for European stability.
“The security of the Baltic Sea region has never been more important and this deployment demonstrates our collective resolve to maintaining that security.”
On Friday the commander of Ukraine’s Azov Regiment confirmed civilians and heavily-wounded Ukrainian fighters had been evacuated from the besieged Azovstal steelworks in Mariupol.
Denys Prokopenko said: “We have constantly emphasised the three most important conditions for us are civilians, wounded and dead.
“The civilians have been evacuated. The heavily-wounded received the necessary assistance and they were evacuated, to be later exchanged and delivered to territory controlled by Ukraine.”
He confirmed that the removal of dead bodies from within the complex was still underway, adding: “I hope that in the near future, relatives and Ukraine will be able to bury their soldiers with honour.”
Ukraine officials revealed so far 232 Ukrainian children have died in the fighting and 427 have been wounded.
The US has pledged billions more in military aid to Ukraine, along with other NATO funding- plus anti-ship missiles to guard against the Kremlin sealing off Ukraine’s Black Sea coastline.
