Russia Issues Warning over NATO Military Drills 

By Staff, Agencies 

Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Aleksandr Grushko has accused NATO of rehearsing for a military conflict with Moscow, as the US-led bloc plans its largest joint exercise since the Cold War.

“These provocative exercises are clearly aggressive,” the diplomat said on Wednesday, arguing that the maneuvers planned for in 2024 are “an attempt at military-political pressure.” 

Grushko further stated that “The scenario [of the drill] was formulated in such a way that it leaves no doubt that it is part of preparations for a military confrontation with Russia.”

“It is yet another deliberate step towards destabilization of the situation in the north of Europe.” He added that Moscow would do everything necessary to ensure the security of its borders.

Grushko’s statement came after NATO announced that next year’s Steadfast Defender exercises would be the largest joint exercise the alliance has conducted since the Cold War. 

The war games involving more than 40,000 troops will be held in Germany, Poland and the Baltic states, Admiral Rob Bauer, chair of the NATO Military Committee, said on Saturday. “A new era of collective defense is upon us,” Bauer told reporters in Oslo, Norway.

According to the Financial Times, the drill revolves around a fight against a fictitious enemy “modeled on a coalition led by Russia, named Ocassus.” For the first time, the exercise would use real-world geography to “create more realistic scenarios for the troops,” FT reported.

NATO has increased the scale and scope of its exercises since 2014, after Crimea voted to leave Ukraine and join Russia in the wake of the Western-backed coup in Kiev that year.