Germany’s armed forces are initiating a large-scale exercise series, Quadriga 2025, amidst a security environment perceived as unchanged with regard to Russia General Inspector Carsten Breuer stated in Berlin that Russian intentions extend beyond the conflict in Ukraine, necessitating preparedness from allied forces He emphasized that deterrence remains the primary objective and the exercises are designed to demonstrate both national and collective capabilities
Breuer highlighted the proximity of Russia’s upcoming “Zapad” exercise, scheduled to take place in Belarus bordering Lithuania and NATO territory, noting a likely overlap in timing with Quadriga 2025 He cautioned against interpreting Moscow’s actions as inherently escalatory, suggesting that a component of such exercises is the deliberate creation of uncertainty
Quadriga 2025 will focus on the defense of the Baltic Sea region under crisis and wartime conditions, involving approximately 8,000 German personnel from various branches of the military The exercise series, extending to September 2025, will encompass multiple large-scale drills across Germany, Lithuania, Finland and the Baltic Sea
A central component of this year’s activities is the naval maneuver “Northern Coasts” bringing together forces from Germany and other Baltic Sea nations – Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – as well as contributions from France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Belgium, the Netherlands and Canada