The Czech Republic fulfills allied obligations within NATO in several places in Europe. One of them is a military base in the Latvian city of Adaži, located half an hour by car north-east of the capital Riga. It is approximately 270 kilometers from the base to the Russian border. The Czech unit has the task here, together with the soldiers of other NATO countries, to delay the Russians in the event of an invasion of the country. Aktuálně.cz was on point.
“Our point is not so much to kill those people, but to stop the attacking units,” says Captain Jan Kuthan, commander of the Czech unit operating at the base in Adaž. It’s Friday shortly after ten in the morning. The captain speaks in the officers’ club, explains the purpose of his people’s activities in Latvia to a delegation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs led by his boss Jan Lipavský (Pirates).
It describes in detail how the multinational combat unit of NATO has, thanks to its people, the main tool to fulfill its mission. It is a mine thrower that can create a minefield from a distance. It can transport mines up to a distance of three kilometers using rockets. This will create an obstacle for the possible advancement of Russia on the soil of the alliance.
“Try to imagine you’re sitting in a tank and the tank next to you is immobilized by an explosion. You realize you’re in a minefield. But you don’t know how deep you are in it. You don’t know what’s going on. The whole unit stops. It takes a while, before he decides how he wants to proceed,” Kuthan presents a hypothetical situation.
Deter the Russians
The North Atlantic Alliance has advanced combat formations in Europe in eight countries, all of which lie in NATO’s east. Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, there were “only” four. However, after the beginning of the occupation, the alliance decided to strengthen security in the east and created new groups in Slovakia, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary.
The multinational combat group in Adaž, Latvia, is one of four that operated on the eastern edge of the alliance even before the Russian aggression. The other three are in Lithuania, Estonia and Poland. The basic mission of all is the same. Let the Russians know that NATO is serious about defending its territory. And scare them away from the mere thought of stepping on it.
“I am glad that we traditionally have our forces in the Baltics as well. We have been present here for five years, each time we have a high-quality professional unit. It significantly strengthens mutual relations with Latvia, so it was logical for me to visit the soldiers. I got to know their work and thanked them for their service,” Lipavský told Aktuálně.cz.
The exceptional position of the Czechs
In addition to the Czechs, the multinational NATO group in Adaž consists of soldiers from Canada, Poland, Spain, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia, Albania, Montenegro and North Macedonia. Each country contributes a different operational capability to the group. The Poles provided a tank company, the Spanish and Italians arrived with a mechanized company, and the Slovaks, for example, offered artillery.
The entire military formation is commanded by Canadians, who also provide the most varied set of combat equipment. From an artillery battery, through a mechanized company to a combat support company. The multinational grouping of the alliance in Adaž has a total of 1,250 people and 750 pieces of military equipment.
The commander of the Czech unit in the Latvian Adaž, Captain Jan Kuthan (far left). | Photo: Aktuálně.cz
The Czech platoon of 63 men falls under the Spanish company. What unites both countries on the ground is that they have an engineering unit there. However, the Czechs are exceptional not only in their union with Spain, but also in comparison to the entire rest of the battle formation. They are the only ones with the mentioned mine thrower. They would be first in line the moment the country was invaded by the Russians.
“Our device is quite unusual in Europe. When we came here, the Canadians looked at it in a way, what should they do with it,” says Captain Kuthan. It approaches the creation of an anti-tank minefield as a variable with the potential to drastically change the situation in the field. “You will close the enemy’s path and create space for your troops to prepare for the next defense.”
Welcome military base
“I must say that this is a comfortable topic. Due to the fact that Riga is some three hundred kilometers from the border with Russia, the military base is very welcome in this country. It is a visible guarantee that NATO stands by Latvia and will not let it fall, Marta Hušková, deputy Czech ambassador to Latvia, told Aktuálně.cz.
The mood in the country towards the Russian occupation of Ukraine is described by the second lady of the embassy in Riga as unambiguous. According to her, practically the entire country condemns the military aggression of Vladimir Putin’s regime. Converted per inhabitant, Latvia, with a population of two million, is among the five largest European donors to Ukraine, providing assistance in the amount of 9 billion crowns.
“The support also comes from the Russian-speaking minority. Only a negligible percentage thinks otherwise. In the beginning, like everywhere, there were strong emotions, but here the mood continues to this day. Latvia is very close to Russia, all attitudes flow from that. It is very personal ,” explains diplomat Hušková.
