NATO CONDUCTS DRILLS ON RUSSIA’S BORDERS AMID MILITARY OPERATIONS IN UKRAINE

NATO officials insist that the drills were planned a long time ago and that Russia was aware of them. 30,000 troops, 50 vessels, and 200 aircraft have been deployed by 27 member-states In Norway, which is a long-standing member of NATO.

FILE: This handout picture taken and released by the Russian Defence Ministry on 14 January 2022 shows Russian troops disembarking from a military cargo plane upon landing in Ivanovo after completing their mission in Kazakhstan. Picture: Handout/Russian Defence Ministry/AFP

Paula Slier

MOSCOW - The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, known as NATO, is conducting drills on Russia's borders as Moscow continues its military action in Ukraine.

NATO officials insist that the drills were planned a long time ago and that Russia was aware of them. About 30,000 troops, 50 vessels, and 200 aircraft have been deployed by 27 member-states In Norway, which is a long-standing member of NATO.

Call it coincidence, or bad planning, but one of the reasons Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his army into Ukraine was because he didn't want the country becoming a member of NATO with American and European forces on the Russia-Ukraine border.

But now he's got them on his border with Norway where they'll be conducting military exercises until April.

Dubbed 'Cold Response,' the Norwegian Armed Forces said they were planned a long time ago and were neither unexpected nor surprising to Russian authorities.

Their goal is to “help allies and their partners practice working together so that they are prepared for any situation”.

But Moscow views them as a provocation as it does the military exercises that NATO will also be conducting on another border next week.

This time in Georgia, which is not currently a member of NATO but has been promised to be admitted in the future.

It comes as NATO officials express concern that Moscow will make up an excuse for a false flag operation that could possibly see Russia using chemical weapons.