Das Land, das jedes Jahr Krieg mit Putin praktiziert – und warum auch Großbritannien auch sollte

Estonian officer Madis Koosa still remembers the Russian occupation of his homeland.

Koosa grew up paying with Rubles, and his childhood classroom had a poster of Lenin. He remembers the Soviet military presence and “never having enough” of crucial supplies.

Estonia shares a 183-mile border with Russia and spent more than 50 years under the Kremlin’s control.

Today, as [Russia continues its bloody war in Ukraine](https://inews.co.uk/news/world/im-a-ukrainian-soldier-trumps-peace-deal-puts-us-all-at-risk-including-the-uk-3665912?ico=in-line_link), Koosa, now a Lieutenant Colonel, is at the forefront of Estonia’s defence for a possible new attack.

He is leading a battalion in the country’s annual war drill, which involves 18,000 troops from partner countries, [including the UK military.](https://inews.co.uk/news/british-soldiers-defending-nato-border-putin-3702467?ico=in-line_link)

But unusually, the exercise goes beyond the conventional armed forces and designated military sites, touching every aspect of Estonian society, from hospitals to prisons.

As the [debate over conscription](https://inews.co.uk/news/military-conscription-uk-how-likely-2870708?ico=in-line_link) continues in the UK, and [alarm bells are rung about British preparedness](https://inews.co.uk/news/what-would-home-guard-look-like-thow-they-work-other-countries-3700722?ico=in-line_link) for Russian aggression, what can the UK learn?