U.S. moves more troops & aircraft to NATO's eastern front as Russia invades Ukraine

Do you support the deployment to NATO countries in Eastern Europe?

Written by Eric Revell, Countable News

UPDATE 2/23/22

  • Russia has launched its invasion of Ukraine, which you can find coverage of here.

The original article appears below.

What’s the story?

  • The Pentagon on Tuesday announced several movements of troops and aircraft within Europe to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) eastern front to deter aggression against members of the alliance amid Russia’s military buildup on Ukraine’s borders. Defense officials say that a Russian invasion of Ukraine looks increasingly imminent, as about 80% of the more than 150,000 Russian troops deployed near the Ukraine border have reportedly “uncoiled” into attack positions to where they can go at a moment’s notice as of Wednesday.
  • Among the American units already deployed to Europe that will be heading east will be an infantry battalion consisting of 800 troops from the 173rd Airborne Brigade stationed in Vincenza, Italy, who will deploy to the Baltic region to support NATO allies Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. 
  • Additionally, up to eight F-35 Lightning II fighters will move from Germany to several operating locations on NATO’s eastern front; 20 AH-64 Apache attack helicopters will move from Germany to the Baltic region; and 12 AH-64 Apaches will move from Greece to Poland.
  • American personnel deployed to the region are there as a “tripwire” meant to deter Russia from acting against NATO countries, given that doing so would result in the invocation of NATO’s Article V mutual defense clause. They will also conduct training exercises with allies and, if Russia further invades Ukraine, help respond to an expected flow of refugees fleeing the war zone. The U.S. and NATO have made clear that there are no plans to use those forces in Ukraine, which isn’t a NATO member.
  • These movements are in addition to the two separate deployments totaling about 6,000 American troops and additional military assets to NATO countries in Eastern Europe that have been announced in recent weeks amid Russia’s invasion threat.
  • America’s NATO allies are also continuing to deploy more military assets to Eastern Europe, such as the British Army’s Royal Welsh Battlegroup who are deploying to the Baltic region to join NATO forces already in the area. 
  • Additionally, the readiness level of the entire multinational NATO Response Force (NRF) has been elevated over the last week so that the roughly 40,000 troops attached to it (including 8,500 Americans) could deploy if needed within seven days, rather than 30 days. That brings the full NRF closer to the level of preparation of its Very High Readiness Joint Task Force, which remains permanently able to deploy 5,000 ground troops plus another 15,000 personnel from air, maritime, and special forces within two to three days.

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(Photo Credit: Paratroopers: U.S. Army National Guard photo by Spc. Cassandra Simonton via U.S. Army Europe Flickr / Public Domain | Apaches: U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Daniel Johnson via Flickr / Public Domain | F-35: U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Kate Thornton via DVIDSHUB / Public Domain)