French paratroopers have been practicing for rapid deployment to the NATO Eastern flank amid escalating tensions with Russia.

A regiment of French paratroopers on Friday took part in a rapid deployment drill from helicopters to the Estonian island of Saaremaa as part of a multinational military exercise called Pikne.

The exercises, led by the Estonian Defense Forces together with NATO allies from France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Latvia, and Canada, aim to practice the rapid deployment of allied units to Estonian territory and the repulsion of a potential enemy as a multinational force.

This year, the allies are enhancing the intensity of the exercises and applying the lessons learned from various conflicts, including the war in Ukraine, said a Lt Col. and chief of operations of the French brigade.

AP video shot by Kostya Manenkov