The videos, one made in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava on October 6, and the other in Stara Boleslav, a small town in the Czech Republic 25 km northeast of Prague on October 7, show police blocking highway traffic to allow for the passage of columns of what appears to be US military equipment, including Humvees and armored personnel carriers.
Unlike the well-known columns of NATO forces which pass through the two countries for exercises in neighboring countries from time to time, last week's transfers did not see any coverage whatsoever from the media.
A Slovak driver who noticed one of the convoys told Sputnik that he was listening to the traffic information radio station at the time:
"The host reported a traffic jam on the highway, but didn't say that the reason was the movement of foreign troops. Instead, he said it was related to road work! They are already lying to us, even in the news about traffic jams!" the driver complained.
Speaking to Sputnik Czech Republic, military analyst Ivan Kratochvil said that the unreported movement of NATO troops has ominous implications.
"From the look of things, a 'military Schengen zone' has been created in Eastern Europe, in line with the idea proposed by former commander of US ground forces in Europe Ben Hodges," the observer suggested. Earlier, Lieut. Gen. Hodges said that NATO allies should be able to move quickly across the continent without receiving permission from allied countries.
"It's a rare sight to see such road repair workers wearing military uniforms, but you can find them in the Czech Republic and Slovakia," Kratochvil sarcastically concluded.