Channel 4's new documentary, Frontline: Our Soldiers Facing Putin, attempts to showcase NATO's preparedness for a potential conflict with Russia, but instead delivers a tedious and jargon-filled affair. The two-part series, set against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, aims to reassure viewers that the alliance is ready for any Russian aggression, particularly in Estonia, a NATO member bordering Russia.
The programme opens at the Estonia-Russia border, where a guard named Peter is described as 'staring directly at the Russian threat'. However, the actual threat amounts to a Russian border patrolman pacing on his side of the fence. The narration, delivered by Jonas Armstrong in an over-the-top tone, tries to inject drama but falls flat, as the first episode offers little in the way of a frontline or soldiers facing Putin.
The documentary focuses heavily on military jargon, with terms like 'Enhanced Forward-Presence Battle Groups' (EFPBGs) featuring prominently. These groups include 1,300 British troops stationed in Estonia, who are shown practising trench warfare. General Sir Richard Shirreff, NATO's former deputy supreme allied commander in Europe, describes this as 'total war, a war of absolute utmost brutality', but the footage lacks the intensity he suggests.
The series also visits Joint Force Command Naples, described as a 'highly secure command hub', but which is merely a meeting room with a large map. The highlight is Exercise Steadfast Dart, a dress rehearsal for moving troops to a new eastern front line. The programme follows soldiers like Sergeant Heath and Craftsman Peters as they perform routine logistics tasks, such as unloading vehicles and checking equipment, which the show tries to frame as high-stakes but remains mundane.
Critics argue that Frontline: Our Soldiers Facing Putin serves more as a PR exercise for NATO than a serious analysis of military readiness. The documentary avoids addressing political uncertainties, such as the potential impact of US policy shifts under Donald Trump, and instead offers a sterile, jargon-laden view of military operations that will appeal only to enthusiasts.
