LONDON

The prince of Wales on Friday toured military sites in Estonia, where British forces are part of NATO’s efforts to secure the alliance’s eastern flank, marking the UK’s largest overseas operational deployment.

In a show of solidarity with UK troops, Prince William visited a freezing, mud-covered military training area on Friday, where he observed soldiers and military equipment tasked with guarding the region.

Dressed in camouflage, William was pictured inside a Challenger 2 tank and an armored fighting vehicle.

During his two-day visit, William met with some of the 900 British troops stationed in Estonia as part of the multinational force.

Wearing a NATO badge on his uniform, the prince observed field training exercises and spoke with troops from the UK, France, and Estonia, a small country, population 1.37 million, situated between Russia and the Baltic Sea.

According to the BBC, he asked soldiers about their experiences being stationed so close to Russia, inquiring whether the proximity made the situation feel more “real” compared to previous training missions.

William’s visit to Estonia this week was seen as a clear demonstration of the UK’s commitment to defending the Baltic region against Russia.