The exercise, organized by Lithuania and Poland and taking place "on the border between the two countries, specifically in the area known as the Suwalki corridor, will last all week, involving more than 1,500 soldiers, including Portuguese soldiers", the Navy specified.

The "Brave Griffin 24/II", which aims to "test defensive scenarios and tactics", also includes the participation of the United States of America, according to the press release.

The Marine Force on mission in Lithuania is composed of 146 soldiers, commanded by Lieutenant Captain Nuno Correia Marques.

With about 200 military units involved near the border with Poland, these maneuvers aim to "increase readiness and coordination among the participating forces", describes Polish television TVP World on its digital portal.

According to the same source, the presence of the Presidents of Lithuania and Poland, Gitanas Nauseda and Andrzej Duda, respectively, is expected during the week to observe the exercises.

The "Brave Griffin 24/II" marks the beginning of NATO's (North Atlantic Treaty Organization, Western defense bloc) broader "Steadfast Defender" training cycle across Europe.

These exercises, which will bring together more than 90,000 soldiers from more than 30 countries, represent one of the largest military initiatives since the end of the Cold War.

The main objective of NATO's maneuvers in Lithuania, scheduled to last until the end of June, is to evaluate and validate the defensive strategies formulated during the previous NATO summit in Vilnius, and, in addition, "aim to underline the unwavering commitment of NATO members to collective defense and security", emphasizes TVP World.

NATO's "Steadfast Defender 2024" maneuver cycle is "a direct response to Russia's military aggression in Ukraine and the threats Moscow has been posing to NATO member states", according to the Polish television station.

"By demonstrating the Alliance's ability to rapidly mobilize and reinforce European defenses, these exercises seek to maintain stability and deterrence in the region", continues TVP World, adding that these are exercises "conducted on NATO's eastern flank", which foresee "scenarios involving confrontations with adversaries of comparable strength".

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