US Troops Moving through Slovakia to Saber Strike Exercise These Days

Bratislava, February 17 (TASR) – Some 2,000 members of the US Armed Forces, along with about 600 pieces of military equipment, are moving through Slovakia these days on their way to Saber Strike 22 military drills, the Slovak Army informed TASR on Thursday.

The military exercise is due to take place between March 1 and 14 at the Lest training camp (Banska Bystrica region), the garrison training camp in Levice (Nitra region) and the Sliac military airport (Banska Bystrica region). Americans will train together with almost 1,300 Slovak soldiers. The US troops took a break in the Kuchyna air base (Bratislava region).

According to the police, convoys of military equipment heading from the Czech Republic can pass through the Bratislava, Trnava, Nitra and Banska Bystrica regions. They will be accompanied by police patrols. “In order to eliminate the risk of collision situations, the transfer is planned at times when the intensity of road traffic is the lowest,” the police has posted on a social network, reminding drivers of possible traffic restrictions.

Saber Strike’s goal is to test the joint readiness for rapid and effective transfers of NATO troops in winter conditions, the conduct of defence operations and their comprehensive logistic support. The Slovak Defence Ministry declared that the exercise is a long-time planned action of Slovak and NATO troops and has nothing to do with the rising tensions on the Ukrainian-Russian border or the recently approved Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) between Slovakia and the United States.