Russia is holding massive military exercises along its European border in response to ongoing NATO-Sweden-Finland drills called Arctic Challenge. The drills are a scheduled, biennial event, so the Russian counter-exercises were unexpected, as Defense One reports:
It was the degree of the robust Russian response that surprised Nordic and NATO military chiefs. Russia’s Northern and Western commands mobilized about 12,000 troops and 250 aircraft, including the new Arctic Brigade in Kola.The size of the mobilization compares with the 115 aircraft and about 4,000 troops from nine countries taking part in Arctic Challenge, which runs May 25-June 5. Russia’s maneuvers will be …read more
Source: The American Interest