SVK Armed Forces continue to gather swab samples in eastern Slovakia and launch their first civil-military operation – Op UMBRELLA 1

The SVK Armed Forces have today launched their historically first civil-military operation – Op UMBRELLA 1. It is aimed at ensuring civic life and security in the sealed-off Roma communities. Meanwhile, specialist Armed Forces teams have been continually gathering swab samples for testing COVID-19. Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Security Juraj Krúpa, and Chief of Defence Daniel Zmeko today (13 April) set out to see for themselves and inform of the situation unfolding in the affected Roma communities.

Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: "The situation is developing relatively positively at the moment. Since Thursday, when the previous meeting was held here, a number of positive steps have been made, even in terms of food supplies for example. Drinking water has also been provided continuously, and so have medical services." He went on to add that several dozen people from the communities will be moved to state-run quarantine centres at their own request today. "The SVK Armed Forces definitely do the job 100%. I am proud of how they act, mainly because in this way we can demonstrate their importance as part of domestic crisis management," emphasised the Defence Minister.

As Chief of Defence Gen Daniel Zmeko noted, the SVK Armed Forces have been fully committed to steering local responses to the pandemic over the Easter holidays. As part of assistance services in support of the SVK Police Corps, several operations have been underway concurrently, including swab sampling across Roma communities, maintaining public order, and supporting civic life under quarantine in Roma communities. "Over 1,500 service personnel are currently out in the field, with about 150 of them deployed directly in and around Krompachy. There, two operations have been underway. There is the testing team as part of Operation Carousel, plus there is the task force to maintain order and security and support the daily civic life in local communities. Disinfectants and medical resources are available on site, and so are a team of sappers to supply wood and, last but not least, logistical support elements," he said.

Appreciating the work of the SVK Armed Forces, Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Security Juraj Krúpa said: "I can see that the activities being carried out here are at a very high level. Thanks to this field experience, I will be able to give a better assessment of things that will come up in Parliament." On different hoaxes and disinformation about the reported militarisation of the service personnel's deployment, he reminded that the SVK Armed Forces form a regular component of crisis management and have an irreplaceable role in this situation too.

A total of 1990 swab samples for testing COVID-19 were collected across 86 communities from Friday 3 April 2020 to Sunday 12 April 2020. Today further sampling is scheduled to take place across 12 villages. The sampling efforts in the field and at the operational centres are supported by 200 soldiers. The Operation Carousel Task Force is composed of Special Operations Forces (SOF) experts for civil-military cooperation (CIMIC). Military medical professionals from the Office of SVK Armed Forces Surgeon General have been embedded with the task force, and so have elements of the SVK Air Force and the SVK Army.