Twelve British soldiers were injured in a multi-vehicle collision in Estonia, close to the Russian border, according to local reports.
The troops, part of NATO’s mission to deter Russian aggression, were involved in the accident on Friday, which occurred amid snowy conditions.
Eight of the injured soldiers were airlifted back to the UK for treatment on Sunday, with five subsequently discharged. Three remain in care at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham’s military wing.
The crash took place at approximately 5 pm on Friday at a junction as the troops were returning to their base in Tapa in three Toyota minibuses.
The incident began when two civilian cars, a Volvo S80 driven by a 37-year-old woman and a BMW 530D driven by a 62-year-old woman, collided. This initial collision triggered a chain reaction involving four other vehicles, including the army minibuses and a third civilian car.
Local reports from the Estonian outlet Postimees state that 12 British soldiers and five civilians were injured. All were taken to hospital by ambulance.
The injured troops are deployed in Estonia as part of Operation Cabrit, the UK’s contribution to NATO’s enhanced forward presence.
This mission strengthens NATO‘s eastern flank with forces stationed in member states near Russia to deter potential aggression. Approximately 900 British personnel are stationed in Estonia, supported by Challenger 2 tanks.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson confirmed the incident, stating: “Several British soldiers deployed on Operation CABRIT in Estonia were injured in a road traffic incident last Friday, 22nd November.”
Following hospital treatment in Estonia, eight personnel were flown back to the UK on an RAF C-17 for further treatment. Five have since been discharged, and three are being cared for at the Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham. We wish them all a speedy recovery.”
Defence Secretary John Healey added:
“My thoughts are with all those affected by the road traffic incident involving British personnel in Estonia. I wish those injured a full and swift recovery.”
The incident underscores the risks faced by NATO personnel stationed in challenging conditions as part of their mission to safeguard European security.
