More than 800 Danish soldiers and hundreds of vehicles arrived at Camp Valdemar in Latvia on Wednesday. The Danish battalion joins a Canadian-led NATO brigade and will stay until January 2027.
DR reports that the troops reached the Danish camp on August 12, 2026, as part of NATO’s collective defense of the Baltic states. The commander of the Danish combat battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Karina Wøbbe, said in a press release that the soldiers will now prepare their equipment and settle into the camp.
Most of the soldiers flew to Latvia, escorted by Danish, Swedish and Turkish fighter aircraft. Their vehicles and military materiel were shipped instead, loaded onto a transport vessel in Denmark last week.
The Danish frigate Esbern Snare escorted the ship on its way to Latvia. According to the Danish Armed Forces, the Swedish corvette Nyköping and a British maritime patrol aircraft also followed the shipment, to show unity and common resolve among Denmark and its NATO allies.
The Armed Forces link the deployment to the growing threat from Russia. It is the fifth time since 2022 that Denmark has sent a combat battalion to Latvia. The soldiers are to train with other NATO units, show presence in Latvian terrain, and deter potential adversaries from attacking allies.
Part of a Canadian-led brigade
Jane’s reports that the arrival completes the battalion’s move from Denmark into NATO’s Canadian-led Multinational Brigade Latvia. It notes that the unit will train with other brigade units, and that this is the fifth Danish battalion rotation to Latvia since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
The Latvian Ministry of Defence states that Swedish and Danish units are deployed to the brigade on a rotational basis. Canada’s Department of National Defence describes itself as the framework nation for the brigade under Operation REASSURANCE. The Danish Armed Forces add that Denmark leads Multinational Division North in Latvia.
The decision behind the deployment
CPH Post, citing Ritzau, reported earlier that the Danish government and a parliamentary majority approved sending up to 850 troops to Latvia in the second half of 2026. The Danish unit is to replace the Swedish contingent in the Canadian-led brigade at Ādaži, where Camp Valdemar is located.
Reuters reported that the decision followed consultations with Denmark’s Foreign Policy Committee, as part of NATO efforts to reinforce the alliance’s eastern flank. Latvian public broadcaster LSM earlier cited Latvia’s defense minister putting the number of Danish soldiers at about 750.
The current contingent remains part of the NATO task until January 2027, according to the Armed Forces. Denmark’s wider commitments include work on Baltic security alongside allied forces in the region.
