British troops set for Baltic mission in Nato deployment

Michael Fallon is to announce a “long-term” deployment of UK troops to the Baltic region.

The Defence Secretary will announce the commitment as Nato defence ministers meet in Brussels, where they are expected to discuss the crisis in Ukraine and Russia’s intervention in Syria.

A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: “We are expecting to announce a long-term presence in the Baltic states.”

RAF Typhoon fighters are already deployed in the region as part of the Baltic Air Policing detachment and have been called into action in recent months.

In June, Typhoons were scrambled from Amari Air base in Estonia to intercept and shadow two Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea.

After visiting the site, Mr Fallon said: “I am hugely proud to see the men and women of the RAF continuing their watch over our allies on the eastern borders of the Nato alliance. Our ongoing presence here sends a clear message that we will stand with our eastern European partners.

“The UK has a pivotal role to play in ensuring global security, and if we fail to defend our allies as well as ourselves, we risk encouraging adventurism and instability elsewhere in the world.”