A US Army infantry battalion task force has arrived in the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to reinforce NATO’s presence in the eastern part of the Alliance.

Paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade left their home base in Vicenza, Italy, and arrived in Latvia shortly after midnight on 24 February, disembarking from transport aircraft at Rīga International Airport. Once settled in, they will train alongside their NATO Allies to maintain readiness to respond to all contingencies. In total, approximately 800 troops from the 173rd Airborne Brigade will be stationed in the Baltics.

Their arrival is part of a broader surge of US troops into Europe in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.