All military exercises of the Greek Armed Forces have been suspended due to the coronavirus threat, starting with “Storm ’20”, which was to commence on Monday, according to a Kathimerini report citing military sources.
The decision came after the Ministry of Health and the National Health Organization (EODY) pointed out that the next two weeks will be critical in regards to the COVID-19 pandemic and advised the temporary suspension of large-scale activities.
Since the percentage of COVID-19 cases in the Armed Forces reached only 0.05 percent at the height of the pandemic, military authorities decided to postpone the exercises in order to maintain the low figures of infections in the army.
However, according to military sources, “Ensuring the operational capability and readiness of the Armed Forces is of paramount importance, especially at this time. The almost certain return of Turkey’s hybrid threat to our eastern land and sea borders, as it is admitted and constantly repeated by Turkish officials at every opportunity, requires prudence to ensure the operational availability of the Armed Forces to the highest degree during the pandemic,” the Kathimerini report says.
“Large-scale and medium-scale operations and training will take place in due course and when health conditions allow. And always with the aim of maintaining and protecting the high level of combat capability, the health of staff, and the availability of the Units of all the Branches of the Armed Forces. In the midst of the pandemic, this was achieved with the utmost effort and deprivation, ranking the Greek Armed Forces among the few in the world who did so,” the military source said.
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