French paratroopers conduct military drill in Estonia in message to Russia

Soldiers jump over Estonia (French Army/AP)

French armed forces have conducted a surprise military exercise in Estonia, deploying more than 100 paratroopers in the Baltic country that neighbours Russia, the French defence ministry said.

The airborne operation conducted on Tuesday night and dubbed Thunder Lynx “enabled, at very short notice, the dropping of about 100 paratroopers” from France’s 11th Airborne Brigade “over an area secured by Estonian soldiers”, the statement said.