The 10-day drill runs from June 16 to June 26 at training grounds near Orzysz in northeastern Poland, close to the Russian border. It brings together troops from Poland’s 16th Mechanized Division and Lithuanian forces for joint operations and live-fire training. Polish President Karol Nawrocki visited the exercise on June 17, observing soldiers operating recently introduced equipment, including K2 tanks, K9 howitzers and Borsuk infantry fighting vehicles. The Suwałki Gap lies between Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave and Belarus. NATO planners view the corridor as strategically vital because its closure could cut Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia off from allied land reinforcements. The exercise focuses on coordination between ground units, artillery and air power, including scenarios involving F-16 support.
