Romania deploys troops to Slovakia & Bulgaria to enhance its military presence

Romania has bolstered its military presence on the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s (NATO) Eastern Flank as of January 2025, deploying units to Slovakia and Bulgaria. The country’s Ministry of National Defence today announced that this is in addition to its ongoing participation in Poland. According to the ministry’s statement, Romanian contributions now include an anti-tank detachment in Slovakia, a reconnaissance unit in Bulgaria, and an air defence detachment in Poland.

More than 150 Romanian troops are supporting NATO battle groups, which were established to enhance deterrence following the 2022 NATO Summit in Madrid.

The Slovak battle group is led by Spain, while Italy oversees the Bulgarian group, both featuring



multinational forces. Romania also hosts its own NATO battle group, led by France, with contributions from Belgium, Spain, and Luxembourg.

NATO is set to boost its presence in the Baltic Sea through an enhanced vigilance initiative, as announced at a major summit in Helsinki yesterday. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte announced the plan at the conclusion of the Baltic Sea NATO Allies Summit, held to discuss ways to strengthen security in the region. Rutte explained that the initiative, called Baltic Sentry, aims to strengthen maritime presence and monitoring in key areas for the alliance. Vigilance in the Baltic Sea region will be enhanced by various assets, including frigates and maritime patrol aircraft.