NATO suggests that within three years the prospect of a Russian invasion of this region will become quite real.

NATO is hastily strengthening the Baltic border zone on the border with Russia and Belarus. The basis of defense here should be provided by more than a thousand concrete bunkers, writes The Times.

The publication notes that in the early 1990s, the Latvian army said that in the event of a Russian invasion they could only hold out for “about 12 minutes.” Military headquarters games held in 2016 showed that Russian tanks could reach the outskirts of Riga and Tallinn – the capitals of Latvia and Estonia – within 60 hours.

But now the situation is changing, the publication notes. NATO plans to defend “every inch” of the territory of the Baltic countries and is pulling brigades from Germany, Poland and Finland there. At the same time, it is planned to strengthen about 1000 km of the border of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, common with Russia and Belarus. The basis of this defensive line will be more than 1,000 concrete bunkers.

It is planned to build 600 such structures on the Russian-Estonian border alone, the cost of which is estimated at 60 million euros. As Estonian Deputy Defense Minister Susan Lillevali said, one such bunker will have an area of ​​about 37 square meters. m and will be able to protect about ten soldiers from artillery fire. Ammunition depots will also be installed nearby, as well as additional fortifications – anti-tank mines, ditches, a brass spiral and concrete pyramids known as “dragon’s teeth”.

It is alleged that the project is planned to be implemented as soon as possible due to fears of an imminent attack on the Baltic countries. In January, Estonian Prime Minister Kaia Kallas said Russia could launch an invasion within three years.

According to a Lithuanian army officer, the point of creating these fortifications is to slow down the advance of Russian troops until NATO can fight back on more advantageous lines. However, the alliance is afraid that Russia will manage to capture significant territories in a short time, after which the situation will be difficult to change.

Threat to the Baltic States from Russia

As wrote, NATO at the official level is increasingly talking about the prospect of an armed conflict with Russia. According to the commander of the Belgian army, Michel Hofmann, the next target of Russian aggression could be either Moldova or the Baltic countries

Analysts at the American Institute for the Study of War note that recently the Kremlin has significantly stepped up its efforts to create an information basis for a possible attack on the Baltic countries.