NATO Plans Large-Scale Transport of Wounded Troops in Case of Conflict with Russia, Reports Reuters

By Sabine Siebold

BERLIN – NATO is preparing to coordinate the evacuation of a significant number of wounded troops from frontline areas in the event of a conflict with Russia. This could involve the use of hospital trains, as air evacuations may not be viable due to operational challenges, according to Lieutenant-General Alexander Sollfrank, head of NATO’s logistics command.

In an interview, Sollfrank explained that medical evacuation strategies would likely differ from previous military experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq. A potential conflict with Russia would involve a vastly larger war zone, a higher casualty rate, and an anticipated temporary loss of air superiority near the front lines.

"The challenge will be to promptly provide high-quality care for, in the worst case, many wounded soldiers," he noted, although he did not disclose the expected number of casualties.

This planning for medical evacuations is part of a broader initiative initiated by NATO following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, aimed at enhancing the alliance’s deterrence and defense capabilities against potential Russian aggression.

The German military projects that Russia could launch an attack on a NATO member state as soon as 2029. Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has framed Western support for Ukraine as a provocation. The ongoing conflict in Ukraine has led to the most serious tensions between Russia and the West since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962.

Sollfrank oversees NATO’s Joint Support and Enabling Command (JSEC), which is responsible for organizing the rapid deployment of troops and equipment across Europe, as well as logistical arrangements like munitions storage along NATO’s eastern border. Recently, JSEC conducted an exercise focused on managing patient transportation.

Sollfrank emphasized that if a conflict with Russia were to occur, the distance for evacuating the wounded would be greater than in recent conflicts. Russian air defenses and military aircraft would pose threats to medical evacuation operations, unlike in previous engagements, creating a need for hospital trains, which can transport larger numbers of casualties compared to aircraft.

"Achieving air superiority will be a prerequisite. It will take time to establish it along the entire frontline," Sollfrank stated. "For planning purposes, we must consider all options for transporting a large number of injured soldiers to medical facilities, including trains and possibly buses."

Another challenge is the differing medical regulations among NATO countries. Sollfrank suggested that a "military medical Schengen" could be a potential solution, similar to the Schengen Area that facilitates movement within the European Union. This would allow for the unobstructed passage of certain critical medications, such as narcotics or potent painkillers, which are essential for treating injured troops but are subject to strict cross-border transport regulations.