The French unit, a French light infantry company, does not form part of France's NATO contingent in Estonia but came to Tapa specifically for the exercise, which drew on lessons learned from Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Lt Col. Le Pelletier De Woillemont, commander of the French forces in Estonia, said: "There are many forests, many swamps; few elevations. And, the conditions in winter are very cold, with temperatures that can reach as low as -20 degrees. We are not accustomed to this in France. And therefore, in all these conditions, we practice cooperation with our allies and operating in a particular terrain, while we are here in Estonia to better reinforce Europe."

The Defense League members took on the role of observers. Lt Col. Jaanus Ainsalu, head of the Defense League's northeastern territorial defense district, said: "They are demonstrating their professional drill skills and how to handle various situations. Plus, obviously, this is beneficial for us, as through their actions, our volunteer squad leaders, platoon leaders, and company commanders can improve and get better."

The French ambassador @emmanuelmignot2 spent time with the soldiers of the @natobgest in and the light infantry company alongside the Estonian Defence League @Kaitsevagi It was an opportunity to talk about allied cooperation, joint training and operational capabilities. pic.twitter.com/58H9Pkw5az

— French Forces in Estonia (@FrForcesEstonia) March 21, 2025

At a time of shifting priorities in US-EU relations and the latter bloc taking on an even greater regional defensive role, France's ambassador to Estonia, Emmanuel Mignot, noted his country takes its allied commitments to Estonia seriously.

He said: "Because we can see what exists in Ukraine, we need to rethink training, taking into consideration the evolution of the type of war, and therefore we must not prepare for a past war; we have to watch, learn, and that is why the drones are here, this is new."

The French unit has drone experience. Its commander, Capt. Ulrich, said: "We are using drones today for various exercises. Mostly, they are used for reconnaissance to gather information about the enemy. They also help coordinate activities with allied units. They provide real-time visual awareness. And we also utilize kamikaze drones for attacks."

There were no kamikaze or loitering drones in the skies over Tapa at Thursday's exercise though; clearing an enemy trench would have resulted in more losses than just one wounded if there had been.

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