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| UK 'battle group' to go to Poland | UK 'battle group' to go to Poland |
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| The UK is to send a "full battle group" of 1,350 military personnel to Poland for a major exercise, it has been announced. | The UK is to send a "full battle group" of 1,350 military personnel to Poland for a major exercise, it has been announced. |
| They will take part in Exercise Black Eagle - a series of Nato manoeuvres to support allies in Eastern Europe and the Baltic States - in October, Defence Secretary Michael Fallon announced on a trip to Warsaw. | |
| The commitment is Britain's largest to the region since 2008. | |
| It comes amid tensions over Ukraine. | |
| The UK had already sent RAF Typhoon jets to support Nato in the area following Russia's annexation of Crimea, the Ministry of Defence said. | |
| British personnel have also taken part in small-scale Army exercises in the region. | |
| Mr Fallon said: "It is right that Nato members and partners demonstrate our commitment to the collective security of our allies in Eastern Europe, so I am pleased to confirm our participation in these exercises. | |
| "In particular, the commitment of a battle group to Exercise Black Eagle shows our sustained and substantial support to Nato's eastern border." | |
| The move comes ahead of the Nato Summit in Wales in September, when international leaders will discuss how to respond to future threat. | |
| Mr Fallon added: "We have a strong opportunity at the Nato summit to discuss how we will continue our response to Russia's illegal annexation of Crimea and its destabilisation of eastern Ukraine. The UK is playing a central role and we are not ruling out further enhancements." |