Soldiers with dozens of wheeled vehicles, drones and Black Hawk helicopters will participate in Operation Iron Stream. TASR was informed about this on Wednesday by the spokesman of the Slovak Armed Forces (OS) Štefan Zemanovič.
“Our goal is to ensure the protection of selected critical elements of the energy infrastructure in such a way that the safety of the transportation of energy carriers, and thus also the energy safety of our fellow citizens, is preserved to the highest possible extent.” said the Chief of the General Staff of the Slovak Republic, General Daniel Zmeko. According to him, if necessary, the army is ready to activate the next phase of the plan and deploy “significant forces and resources” for the direct protection of objects in the event of a threat.
Zemanovič pointed out that after the change in the law, the army has the authority to prohibit the public from entering the area. He asked the residents to respect the instructions of the soldiers in selected areas along the oil and gas pipelines. According to him, the armed forces will soon establish cooperation with the involved components of the state administration and local government to ensure the smooth progress of the operation.
General Zmeko perceives the activity as both a training opportunity and a space for communication with municipalities and the public. “Last but not least, it is also a certain signal that state authorities are able to react flexibly to current threats,” he thinks.
