Prince William wears battle gear on visit to British troops in Estonia

TAPA, Estonia (Reuters) - Prince William donned battle gear to visit British troops in Estonia on Friday on a trip aimed at underlining his country's support for NATO operations in Eastern Europe.

William, heir to the British throne and eldest son of King Charles, was in Tapa camp, around 200 km (125 miles) from the Russian border, inspecting infantry fighting vehicles and riding on a tank wearing full, camouflaged military fatigues.

Britain has about 900 troops in Estonia and Poland as part of 'Operation Cabrit', the British contribution to the expansion of NATO's forces on the alliance's eastern flank following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The prince's two-day visit came as Britain and other European allies are ramping up defence spending in response to U.S. President Donald Trump's calls for other NATO nations to contribute more to Europe's security.

William was pictured standing in front of rounds of barbed wire and in front of plumes of yellow smoke as he observed a trench clearance exercise.

He also oversaw a handover ceremony from the Royal Dragoon Guards who have just finished their deployment at Tapa to the Mercian Regiment who are starting their six-month tour. He is Colonel-in-Chief of the Mercian Regiment.

"From field training to weapon systems operation, this deployment is key! So brilliant to see the dedication and expertise of our troops in action," William's Kensington Palace office posted on X.

The symbolic visit was William's first trip to the Baltic state. Two years ago, he visited British soldiers in Poland who were involved in providing support to Ukraine.

He was due to hear from soldiers about their experiences of being on deployment and discuss mental wellbeing with the army's welfare support officers.

(Reporting by Suzanne Plunkett, writing by Sarah Young, editing by Alvise Armellini and Andrew Heavens)