Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu announced on Tuesday, 5 March, that Moscow has strengthened its military forces in the north and west of Russia to deal with what Moscow calls the “buildup” of NATO military forces near Russia.
According to the Reuters news agency, he cited “increasing NATO’s military capabilities near Russia’s borders, the expansion of the alliance through the joining of Finland and Sweden in the future, as the reason for the strengthening of military forces in the northwest and west of Russia.”
Following Russia’s military attack on Ukraine in February 2022, Sweden and Finland requested to join the North Atlantic Treaty, NATO, which Finland joined this Western military pact in April 2023, and Sweden’s joining process is in the final stages.
This week, NATO is holding an exercise called North’s reaction is 2024, which in this exercise More than 20 thousand soldiers from three countries are participating.
