Some 600 troops and 100 military vehicles are expected to be deployed in the area, which is close to Latvia's borders with Lithuania and Belarus. The exercise is aimed at improving cooperation within the multinational alliance in a scenario where they need to protect Europe's eastern border.

Steel Brawler is part of a broader exercise called Defender Europe 2020 which ended up being significantly reduced in scope due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The same day, the Romanian International Radio quoted the country’s Minister of Defense as saying that Romanian and American troops are holding a joint exercise at a training center in southeastern Romania. The Ministry says all the soldiers are strictly adhering to disease prevention measures.