Majority of Belgian soldiers deployed in Romania are returning home

A large number of the Belgian soldiers deployed in Romania are returning home, the Ministry of Defence announced. They were stationed in Romania for four months and will be relieved by Dutch soldiers. A first flight landed in Belgium on Monday and sixty soldiers will return on Friday. They were stationed in Romania for four months and will be relieved by Dutch soldiers. A first flight landed at Melsbroek airport on Monday and sixty soldiers will return on Friday.

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the NATO countries decided to strengthen the defence and deterrence along the eastern flank of the alliance. At a summit on March 24, the 30 member states agreed to deploy four more battlegroups along the eastern flank in Bulgaria, Hungary, Slovakia and Romania, in addition to the four already deployed in the Baltic states and Poland.

Belgium sent some 300 soldiers to Romania. Most of them were infantrymen of the Battalion 1/3 Lansiers. They were under French command.

The battalion trained with other partner nations, including Romanians, Poles, Americans and the French, to "strengthen their interoperability", according to the Ministry of Defence. During their deployment, they took part in international exercises in various Romanian camps, including Babadag, Smardan, Saint-Georges, Prislop and recently in Cincu.

Last week, Belgium's King Philip visited the Belgian military detachment by the Black Sea. During a short speech, the Belgian sovereign declared that he felt "enormously outraged" by the Russian aggression.

(KOR)

Belgian soldiers in Constanta, Romania, on 15 March 2022 © BELGA PHOTO DIRK WAEM