Prince William drives tank and observes trench warfare near Russian border

Prince William made a striking entrance in full military gear as he arrived at Tapa Military Base in Estonia, just 80 miles from the Russian border, where he rode in a Challenger 2 tank and observed intense trench warfare drills alongside British and Estonian troops.

The Prince of Wales, who serves as Colonel-in-Chief of the Mercian Regiment, visited the NATO facility as part of Operation Cabrit, the UK’s largest overseas deployment, meant to bolster security on the alliance’s eastern flank amid heightened tensions with Russia.

William took part in hands-on activities at the base — including climbing into the commander’s turret of a Warrior fighting vehicle for a better view of a live-fire exercise and personally driving a mobile artillery vehicle known as an Archer.

As gunfire echoed around him, William stood above the trench, listening intently as Major McNeil walked him through the operation.

After engaging with the troops and chatting about freezing temperatures and upcoming missions, the prince told soldiers: “I’m very pleased to be here. Hopefully, this provides a bit of interest for you all and keeps everyone on their toes.”

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