Estonian president receives overview of ongoing military exercise Ussisonad

TALLINN – President Alar Karis on Monday visited Ussisonad 2023 (Parseltongue 2023), the largest reservist exercise in the history of Estonia, at the Piirsalu training ground in Laane County and received an overview of the exercise at the level of the regional command and defense district of the Kaitseliit (Defense League) volunteer corps.

"The reservist army is central to our national defense system and thus the reservists are also one of the main defenders of our nation," Karis was quoted by spokespeople as saying. "At the Piirsalu training grounds, I heard from the reservists that they come to the exercise with a positive attitude and are ready to participate in the next training gatherings as well."

"As the supreme commander of national defense, I am glad that an increasing number of employers support the participation of their employees in training gatherings, for example by maintaining their salary. This is the essence of broad-based national defense as a whole. And just as worthy of appreciation is the understanding and support of the reservists' family members," Karis said. "My praise goes to all 10,000 participating reservists from all over Estonia and thanks to all members of Kaitseliit and the defense forces who helped organize this exercise."

The Ussisonad exercise is the largest reservist training event in the history of Estonia. Over the course of six weeks, nearly 10,000 reservists who were assigned to territorial defense units in 2022 are expected to take part in the drills.