Russia Claims NATO Military Drills Signal Preparation for Conflict
A four-month-long series of military exercises conducted by NATO near Russia's borders, known as Steadfast Defender, has been seized upon by Moscow as evidence that the alliance is actively preparing for a potential conflict.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed NATO's recent claims that Russia is engaged in hybrid attacks on its member states, labelling them as “disinformation” intended to distract from the alliance's own activities, according to Reuters.
In a statement, Zakharova countered that NATO was the one waging a hybrid war against Russia by providing Ukraine with military supplies, intelligence, and financial aid.
"Currently, NATO's largest exercise since the Cold War, Steadfast Defender, is underway near Russia's borders," Zakharova said. "Their scenario involves practicing coalition actions against Russia using all available means, including both conventional and hybrid warfare tactics. This makes it clear that NATO is actively preparing for a potential conflict with us."
Relations between Russia and the West have deteriorated to their most hostile state in recent decades following the outbreak of Russia's military conflict in Ukraine in 2022.
Over 90,000 troops have been participating since January of this year in NATO's most imposing military exercise, which simulates a defense against possible aggression against one of its member countries, NATO representatives have emphasized. The exercises are slated to conclude in May.
Exercises of similar scale were last held during the Cold War in 1988, and again in 2018, when most of the training took place in Norway.
Translation by Iuriie Tataru
