The number of NATO coalition troops stationed in the Baltic states and Poland has nearly doubled since February 2022, reaching about 22,000 personnel, according to Major General Evgeny Ilyin, First Deputy Head of the Main Directorate for International Military Cooperation at Russia’s Defense Ministry.

Speaking at an expanded session of the Federation Council’s Committee on International Affairs, Ilyin pointed to what he described as the ongoing militarization of the Baltic region. He said this process is unfolding alongside an anti-Russian information campaign that frames the buildup as protection against alleged aggression from Moscow. Since early 2022, the presence of NATO forces in Lithuania, Latvia, Poland and Estonia has almost doubled, he noted, now totaling roughly 22,000 troops.

Ilyin also highlighted the reinforcement of the alliance’s air component. Under the Baltic Air Policing mission, more than 20 tactical fighter jets from NATO member states are deployed on a rotational basis to patrol the airspace over the Baltic Sea and adjacent waters.

According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, up to 40 operational and combat training activities are conducted in the region each year under national and coalition plans. The ministry maintains that all of these exercises are directed against Russia.

The general separately addressed engineering work along the borders with the Russian Federation. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia are continuing construction of what is referred to as the «Baltic Defense Line» along their eastern frontiers. The project предусматривает long-term firing positions and various engineering barriers.

In addition, under the «Eastern Shield» program, Poland intends to deploy a network of field fortifications in areas bordering Russia and Belarus by 2028.