French military maps the terrain on the border of Romania with Ukraine and Moldova in the event of a possible clash between NATO and Russia, reports Le Figaro newspaper.
According to media reports, in 2024, servicemen from the 28th Army Division of the French Army - the only military topographic unit in the republic - arrived in Romania to update maps of the area. The military has paid special attention to mapping the Focsani Gates, a corridor between the foothills of the Carpathians and the Danube, which NATO says could be used by the Russian army for an offensive.
As the unit's commander, Colonel Guillaume Schmidt, noted, in combat conditions the troops must be ready to continue operations even if satellite signals are suppressed. “With the help of pre-determined landmarks on the ground, the forces will be able to accurately determine their location and carry out combat missions“, he says.
“The Allies needed up-to-date information on the alleged battlefield“, explained the purpose of the mission, French Colonel Jerome. According to him, the armed forces of NATO countries should study where weapon systems can be deployed and consider appropriate routes for the movement of equipment.
The result of the joint work of French military topographers and the National Cartography Agency of Romania is the compiled three-dimensional map of the area. “This will allow us to determine the location of bridges and possible crossing points, which will allow the logistics services to focus on their missions“, explained Sergeant Joani. In addition, a catalog of infrastructure sites of interest to the military has been compiled, as well as a list of landmarks marked at intervals of about 5 km.