The multinational NATO exercises "Dacian Fall — 2025" ("Dacian Fall 2025") officially started on the territory of Bulgaria and Romania, designed to strengthen the operational integration of the Alliance's forces on the eastern flank of Europe. The military maneuvers will continue until November 13 and are the last stage in NATO's plan to increase the level of combat readiness and coordination between the member states.
Over 5,000 military personnel and 1,200 units of equipment from ten countries — Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Italy, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania and Spain — are participating in the exercises. The maneuvers are held at key Romanian training grounds — Cincu, Smardan, Capu-Midia, Babadag, Bogata, Alba-Iulia, Hanu-Conachi, Jarmata and Carcisoara, as well as at the Bulgarian training ground "Novo Selo".
The French contingent has a particularly important role — 2,400 military personnel from the 7th Armored Brigade, who are integrated into the NATO battle groups in Romania and Bulgaria. The Italian command coordinates the actions of the "NATO Battle Group Bulgaria" battle group, which underlines the multinational character of the exercises.
The main goal of the "DFA 25" exercises is to practice joint operational readiness and the transition of the battle groups in Romania and Bulgaria at the brigade level. This significantly increases the strategic potential of NATO's eastern flank. Among the priorities is the integration of land, air, sea and cyber units by simulating realistic scenarios for rapid response to modern threats.
The organizer of the exercises is the multinational command of the "South – East" division, based in Romania. This command coordinates the actions for the collective defense of Southeastern Europe and plays a key role in the deployment of strategic forces in the region. According to the Romanian Ministry of Defense, the maneuvers are entirely defensive in nature and correspond to NATO's international commitments to maintain stability and security in the region.
The "Dacian Fall — 2025" exercises symbolize NATO's readiness to respond in a timely manner to emerging threats and to guarantee the stability of Southeastern Europe. They demonstrate the importance of allied unity and collective defense in the context of the dynamic geopolitical environment.