The first Austrian reserve forces have arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina to participate in the annual EUFOR exercise “Quick Response 2026”, it was announced from Operation EUFOR Althea.
Austrian soldiers arrived in BiH by road, via the Gradiška border crossing, and additional reserve forces from other partner countries are expected to arrive in the coming days.
EUFOR states that the deployment of reserve forces is a test of the mission’s ability to reinforce its presence in the short term with additional personnel and capacities when necessary.
“The deployment of reserve forces from several partner countries shows the flexibility and reactivity of the EUFOR force structure, which ensures that, when necessary, additional capacities can arrive in a short time,” it was announced.
With the arrival of the first reserve forces, preparations for the “Quick Response 2026” exercise were intensified, during which EUFOR checks the ability to engage its forces and reserve capacities in Bosnia and Herzegovina.



