Estonian president, PM, defmin to visit snap military exercise

  • 2017-12-08
  • LETA/TBT Staff

TALLINN - Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid, Prime Minister Juri Ratas and Defense Minister Juri Luik on Saturday will visit the emergency reservist training event, titled Okas (Quill), where they are to meet the reservists participating in the exercise.

According to Ratas, participating in a training event on short notice is important to practice and check the reserve units' battle readiness achievement and test the country's actual defense capability, government spokespeople told BNS on Friday. "A well-launched exercise reaffirms that we have the skills, training, equipment and legal regulation to cope with the most varied of dangers," the prime minister said.

Ratas thanked all reservists participating in the exercise, who are ready to make their contribution towards national defense, as well as their employers, family members and loved ones, whose understanding attitude enables the reservists to participate in the event.

The Estonian government decided at an extraordinary meeting on Wednesday to hold an emergency military exercise involving 669 reservists beginning Thursday. The exercise is to last until Sunday evening.

This is the second time that Estonia is testing its actual defense capability in such a way. In the first similar snap defense readiness exercise held in December 2016, more than 300 reservists and Kaitseliit volunteers were called up in North and South Estonia.