Police From Three Continents Test Anti-Riot Tactics in Romania

Police from 19 countries attended the Carpathian Blue Shield 2026 exercise in Romania to share knowledge on how to control violent demonstrations and subdue unrest.More than 500 riot police and gendarmerie personnel from 19 countries gathered at the Romanian Gendarmerie’s training centre in Ochiuri this week to act out security-crisis scenarios in which they tested tactics to quell angry rioters throwing projectiles, setting up barricades and attacking public buildings. The Carpathian Blue Shield 2026 exercise was designed to test joint responses to complex security situations, including coordination, information-sharing and tactical intervention. Participants included forces from Ukraine, Moldova, Bulgaria and the US as well as Western European countries. Romanian Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu said security risks “are becoming increasingly interconnected”, which requires public-order forces to adapt and train for real-world scenarios involving multiple threats. Italian riot policemen from the Carabinieri (L) and French riot policemen (R) take part in the ‘Carpathian Blue Shield 2026’ international military and public order exercise at the Gendarmerie Training Centre in Ochiuri, Romania, 01 October 2026. Photo: EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT Romanian riot policemen take part in the ‘Carpathian Blue Shield 2026’ international military and public order exercise at the Gendarmerie Training Centre in Ochiuri, Romania, 01 October 2026. Photo: EPA/ROBERT GHEMEN Romanian riot policemen dressed as protesters take part in the ‘Carpathian Blue Shield 2026’ international military and public order exercise at the Gendarmerie Training Centre in Ochiuri, Romania, 01 October 2026. Photo: EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT Romanian firefighters take part in the ‘Carpathian Blue Shield 2026’ international military and public order exercise at the Gendarmerie Training Centre in Ochiuri, Romania, 01 October 2026. Photo: EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT A officer dressed as a demonstrator charges a line of riot police (R) with a bag of green paint during a crowd-control exercise at the ‘Carpathian Blue Shield 2026’ international military and public order exercise at the Gendarmerie Training Centre in Ochiuri, Romania, 01 October 2026. Photo: EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT A officer dressed as a demonstrator (L) faces Moldovan riot policeman (R) during the ‘Carpathian Blue Shield 2026’ international military and public order exercise at the Gendarmerie Training Centre in Ochiuri, Romania, 01 October 2026. Photo: EPA/ROBERT GHEMENT