UK to 'send hundreds more troops to Baltic' in bid to fend off Putin's aggression

The UK is to deploy “hundreds more troops” to the Baltic in a bid to stop Vladimir Putin’s military attack on Ukraine and to curb concerns that the countries could be The Kremlin’s next target.

The move comes after Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s made a plea for NATO countries to ramp up their response to Putin’s attack on Ukraine.

The number of British soldiers poised to be sent to Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania will more than double to a “brigade strength” The Sun reports.

The countries will also be supplied with more military equipment including anti-aircraft missiles and fighter jets.

The US also announced they will be sending 400 soldiers to Lithuania.

This additional deployment will increase the number of US troops in Lithuania to approximately 1,000.

Further information concerning the move will be revealed next week in a video call of defence ministers.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told the House of Commons on Monday: "We have to strengthen NATO, we particularly have to strengthen the eastern flank.

"We’ve already deployed more troops into Estonia but there’s more to do. We're increasing our maritime support and air cover."

A British defence official described the Baltics as “the frontline of NATO security”.

They said: “We share their concerns that, now more than ever, NATO’s eastern flank needs to deter a Russia that has no regard for international law and sovereign borders."