British Troops To Be Deployed To Baltic States

The Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has announced a long-term deployment of British troops to the Baltic states.

Complimenting the Baltic Air Policing mission the move is intended to reassure those eastern European countries bordering Russia about NATO's role.

Mr Fallon said the "company-sized" deployment of troops will be integral to a new NATO training, evaluation and capacity-building mission in Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia:

"That is part of our more persistent presence on the eastern side of NATO to respond to any further Russian provocation and aggression."

Why NATO's Military Might Is Focused On Estonia

The move comes as NATO and defence chiefs meet in Brussels amid heightened concern over the actions of Russia in Syria and eastern Ukraine.

With Russian fighter jets and warships now directly involved in the Syrian conflict there has been a rapid escalation in the crisis and a further deterioration in relations between Moscow and NATO.

The repeated incursion into Turkish airspace of Russian aircraft conducting attacks on targets in Syria is expected to be unanimously condemned by NATO ministers.

Yesterday Russian warships fired cruise missiles 'in anger' for the first time in history. Launched from the Caspian Sea they travelled over Iran and Iraq before hitting rebel and Islamic State targets in Syria.

More from Forces.TV: Watch - Russian Launch Cruise Missiles 

Speaking this morning the former boss of MI6 Sir John Sawers said there's now a need for a summit amid a real threat of miscalculation from President Vladimir Putin.