Source: Global Security Newswire, 10 June 2014
The sabre rattling between NATO and Russia continued on Monday with both sides carrying out simultaneous military drills in the Baltic region.
The Russian military announced on Monday that it had initiated exercises in the Kaliningrad region, a Russian exclave that borders NATO states Lithuania and and Poland, RIA Novosti reported. Strategic Tu-22M3 bombers were expected to take part in the maneuvers over the Baltic Sea.
It was not clear from press reports whether any nuclear-capable bombers were participating in the NATO armed forces drills taking place in Latvia on Monday and Lithuania on Tuesday. However, US Strategic Command in recent days has publicized the temporary deployment of two B-2 stealth bombers and three B-52 strategic aircraft to Europe to participate in training exercises with allies.
This week's NATO war games involve approximately 4,700 military personnel and 800 vehicles contributed from 10 nations.
"The exercise is very important given the current security situation," Latvian Defence Minister Raimonds Vejonis was quoted by Agence France-Presse as saying to journalists. East-West tensions have been at their highest point in decades as a result of Russia's incursion into Ukraine.
Moscow said the maneuvers amounted to an "act of aggression," Interfax reported.
"We can't take this military buildup by the alliance next to Russia's borders as anything but a demonstration of hostile intent," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Vladimir Titov told the state news agency.
Meanwhile, Russia's military drills were reported by Russia Today to involve paratroopers, marines, naval forces and exercises in air defence.