When the master cap. Jehoshaphat Nicolas-Marshall arrived for his deployment at the Adazi military base in Latvia in December, and Western intelligence officials have just begun to warn that Russia may be ready to invade Ukraine.
Now, four months after the troop’s rotation, NATO is trying to stop Russia from launching additional offensives and increasing the number of troops stationed in Eastern Europe.
“It’s very different for us because we’re close to what’s happening now,” said Nicholas-Marshall, who is usually based at CFB Valcartier in Quebec but has previously served in NATO missions in Poland and Iraq.
“Whatever happens can happen in Ukraine or around the world,” he said. “We can continue to train together and be ready if someone sends us somewhere.”
master cap. Jehoshaphat Nicholas-Marhal is standing in front of a LAV VI military vehicle at the Adazi base, about 25 kilometers outside Riga, Latvia. (Brier Stewart / CBC)
Canadian contingent
The corporal is one of approximately 700 Canadian troops stationed in Adazi camp, a military base and training ground of the Western Union, located 25 kilometers outside Riga, the capital of Latvia.
Canada’s military presence in the country increased last month when an artillery battery of 120 soldiers and cannons arrived from Quebec.
Given the heightened security threat, Canada has extended its mission in Latvia indefinitely. The Latvian Ministry of Defense told CBC News that the government hopes to further strengthen the contingent and develop it as a true “anti-war unit”.
But as Latvia seeks to strengthen its defenses, not everyone living near the base is reassured by the growing number of troops – with some fearing it could make the region a bigger target for Russian aggression.
When CBC News visited the base on Monday, dozens of Canadian soldiers were involved in weapons training. In one area, soldiers fired powerful rifles at targets at close range, trying to simulate a battle in an urban environment such as a city street or inside a building.
Canada has the largest contingent in Latvia, but also has about 800 other troops from 10 different NATO countries, including troops from the Czech Republic, Spain and Slovakia.
“It means a lot to us to be here to contribute to the current situation in Ukraine,” said Major Ann Pham, commander of the newly deployed Phoenix battle group in Latvia.
Major Ann Pham, commander of the Phoenix Battery in Latvia, says the amount of training has increased because there are additional troops on the ground. (Corinne Seminoff / CBC)
Last month, Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks met with his Canadian counterpart, Defense Minister Anita Anand, in Ottawa to discuss security and bilateral co-operation.
The meeting came weeks after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau toured the Latvian base, where he officially announced that Canada was expanding its contribution to the mission after 2023, when it was due to expire.
WATCH: Canada resumes Operation Reassurance in Latvia:
Canada renews NATO’s Operation Reassurance mission
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced the resumption of Operation Reassurance a year before it ended during a visit to Latvia. 1:11
NATO has four multinational battlegroups scattered throughout Eastern Europe announcements that forces will be deployed in four more countries – Slovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania – to try to prevent the war from spreading to Ukraine’s neighbors.
Concerns of the residents
In Adaji municipality, a community of 12,000 people bordering the base, those who live there can sometimes hear artillery fire during exercises.
Residents speaking to CBC News near the city center expressed differing views on NATO’s growing mission.
Some have expressed fears that additional troops could provoke Russia.
“If NATO intervenes, we have no idea what will happen to us here,” said Adazi resident Ligita Wojtkane. “Not only will the base be damaged, but our entire small town here.”
WATCH Some in Latvia fear that the country could be embroiled in a bigger war:
Canadian troops are training for battle in Latvia amid a Russian threat
Hundreds of Canadian troops sent to Latvia are preparing to defend NATO territory for fear that Russia could attack the Baltic states. Not everyone is convinced that their presence will deter Russian forces, pointing to Latvia’s unprotected border. 2:08
Xenia Gontiare, a mother pushing her nine-month-old baby in a stroller, also said NATO’s presence made her worried.
She has relatives in Kyiv, but said she was still concerned about the billions of dollars in weapons supplied by NATO countries to Ukraine, as she feared it could escalate violence.
On Tuesday, Kremlin-backed media quoted Maria Zakharova, a Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman, as saying that the European Union had become “NATO’s aggressive military machine.”
But Adazi resident Victoria Zelka believes Russia may decide to invade Latvia – and said she is reassured that the base is nearby.
“We are a neighboring country and we can be involved in the war,” she said. “They want land – there is the Baltic Sea, which they could use for transport and supplies.”
Canada is leading a NATO mission in Latvia, where Tim Hortons coffee and maple syrup are stored in a local store. (Corinne Seminoff / CBC)
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