NATO plans for large-scale transport of wounded troops in case of Russia war

25/9/2024 19:59

        NATO plans to coordinate the transport of a large number of wounded troops away from front lines in case of a war with Russia, potentially via hospital trains as air evacuations may not be feasible, according to a senior general.
        
        The future scenario for medical evacuations will differ from allies' experience in Afghanistan and Iraq, Lieutenant-General Alexander Sollfrank, the head of NATO's logistics command, told Reuters in an interview.
        
        The German general said, in a conflict with Russia, Western militaries would likely be faced with a much larger war zone, a higher number of injured troops and at least a temporary lack of air superiority close to the front lines.
        
        "The challenge will be to swiftly ensure high-quality care for, in the worst case, a great number of wounded," he said without specifying how many injured troops NATO would expect.
        
        The planning for medical evacuations is part of a much broader drive by NATO, prompted by Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, to overhaul and boost its ability to deter and defend against any Russian assault.