Lt. Col. Jaanus Ainsalu, commander of the Viru regiment leading the exercise, said the current situation on the border of the European Union's eastern border in Poland shows that military co-operation exercises are very necessary.

"We have to be ready for such things and this exercise was an indication that we are ready. These volunteers who are out here today are very good and do good work, they have the will to come [and defend] their homeland when the situation calls for it," he told ETV's current affairs show "Aktuaalne kaamera" on Sunday.

He said many people who participated had not done so for a long time and refreshed their skills, as well as learning many new ones.

The main objective of the exercise is to maintain combat readiness and to develop and increase the speed of response in the event of a military threat, newspaper Postimees reported last week.

The exercise will end on Wednesday and mainly takes place at the Central Polygon of the Defense Forces and at the Rutja training ground.

The exercise has taken place regularly since 2009.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!