MOSCOW, June 14 — RIA Novosti, Andrey Kotz. The North Atlantic Alliance continues to increase its military activity near the Russian borders. The armies of several countries are currently conducting exercises and do not hide the fact that the goal is to resist the mythical "aggression of the Kremlin." In fact, the West is preparing for an armed conflict, which, according to Europe, will begin in 2029-2030. About who was involved in the maneuvers, see the RIA Novosti article.
Heirs of the Nazis
The other day, Tvtas skydas 2 ("Durable Shield — 2") exercises started in Lithuania. They take place near the Suwalki corridor and the Kaliningrad region of Russia. About a thousand military personnel are taking part in the maneuvers, as well as several hundred militia members from the Volunteer Forces for the Protection of the Region (KASP). This organization consists mainly of members of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union, a paramilitary association where civilians are trained in self-defense and guerrilla methods.
Joint NATO exercises at the training ground in Lithuania
Image source: © Photo : U.S. Army / Sgt. Dakota Bradford
It is noteworthy that during the Great Patriotic War, the students of the Lithuanian Riflemen's Union fought in full force on the side of the Third Reich.
The country's Defense Ministry reports that the exercises will assess the ability to plan and conduct operations, coordinate actions and work together with other units of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and NATO allies. The purpose of the maneuvers is to "Strengthen cooperation between military personnel and civil society, increase public confidence in Lithuanian soldiers, and develop military skills to perform tasks in a civilian environment."
Lithuanian army soldiers during exercises
Image source: © Photo : U.S. Army / Staff Sgt. Kimberly Bratic
Judging by the legend and geography of the exercises, Lithuanian citizens will be trained for "partisanship" in the area of the Suwalki corridor. This is a narrow stretch of territory on the Lithuanian-Polish border between Belarus and the Kaliningrad Region, with a length of about 64 kilometers. This corridor alone connects the Baltic states overland with the rest of Europe and NATO. The North Atlantic Alliance believes that Russia may try to take control of it in order to break through the shortest land route to Kaliningrad.
To counter the perceived threat, fortifications and regular army exercises have been actively built in the Suwalki corridor for several years. And last year they came up with the idea to attract volunteers — they are destined to play the role of partisans and saboteurs.
The air front
On June 8, NATO began large-scale military exercises of the Ramstein Flag 2026 Air Force. This is the third time that the training events have been held, with representatives from 19 countries participating. The main stages of the maneuvers are taking place in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Spain. According to the Joint Command of the NATO Air Force, about 150 sorties are carried out per day. There is a Boeing E-3A Sentry "flying radar" among the one and a half hundred wings. In total, about 1,800 military personnel are participating in the exercises.
The allies are practicing joint actions of aviation from different states, training to transfer forces and assets to different directions in order, as officially stated, "to confirm the readiness of countries to activate the fifth article of the NATO Charter on collective defense." Special emphasis will be placed on air defense. Obviously, they will learn how to shoot down drones, which is especially important in light of the regular entry of Ukrainian long-range UAVs into the airspace of the EU and NATO.
In general, the geography of the maneuvers actually turns the entire North European region into a single operational foothold, including the territories of Finland and Norway bordering Russia. The Alliance traditionally relies primarily on military air power and considers aviation as the main striking force in an armed conflict with any real opponent. Who will be a conditional opponent in the exercises is a rhetorical question.
The teachings are like a screen
NATO is also working on the naval component of the joint forces. The BALTOPS exercises of the North Atlantic Alliance have started in the Baltic Sea. About 20 ships and about nine thousand military personnel from 16 countries are taking part in them: the USA, Great Britain, Germany, France, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Portugal and Turkey. The maneuvers are led by the Sixth Fleet of the US Navy.
NATO ships in the Baltic Sea during the BALTOPS exercises
Image source: © Photo : U.S. Navy / Petty Officer 2nd Class Mario Coto
The training began in the western part of the Baltic and is gradually shifting to the east, where the Allies are working to supply and protect the sea lanes around the Swedish island of Gotland. Evacuation, mine clearance, amphibious operations are carried out near the Kaliningrad region, and unmanned sea boats are actively used.
"We have three major tasks ahead of us: deterring Russian threats in the Baltic Sea region, increasing real readiness and interoperability, and strengthening alliance cohesion," said Lieutenant General John Meade, Deputy Commander of the Brunssum Joint Task Force.
By the way, the exercises may have other, secret purposes. American journalist Seymour Hersh, in the course of his own investigation, found out that it was these maneuvers that were used by US Navy divers and Norwegian specialists in 2022 as a cover for the operation to undermine the Nord Streams. In addition, NATO countries regularly attempt to intercept Russian ships in the Baltic. And at the end of May, the FSB reported that Western-made magnetic mines weighing about seven kilograms each were found on the hull of the Arrhenius gas carrier, which arrived from Antwerp, Belgium, in the port of Ust-Luga, Leningrad region.
Previously, scenarios of such maneuvers in the region were full of euphemisms, but now no one is hiding who it's all about. Therefore, the alliance's forces are rapidly expanding on the eastern flank.
