The Northern Fleet is able to effectively counter the existing challenges and threats to Russia in the Arctic, " Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on April 13.
According to him, the overall situation in this region remains difficult. Competition for access to the resources of the Arctic Ocean and transport communications is increasing among the leading countries of the world. The United States and its NATO allies are building up naval and land forces in the Arctic, increasing the intensity of combat training, and expanding and modernizing military infrastructure. Shoigu noted that such activities are typical not only for the Arctic region. He recalled that over the past three years, NATO has increased military activity near the Russian borders. In Poland and the Baltic States, US forces are being reinforced, the American concept of "four by thirty" has been adopted and implemented, the intensity of aerial reconnaissance has doubled compared to last year, and the intensity of naval reconnaissance has increased by one and a half times.
Every year in Europe, NATO conducts up to 40 major operational training events with a clear anti-Russian orientation. And this spring, the united armed forces of the alliance began the largest exercise in the last 30 years, "Defender Yura - 2021".
"Now American troops are being transferred from the continental part of North America across the Atlantic to Europe. There is a movement of troops in Europe to the Russian borders. The main forces are concentrated in the Black Sea region and the Baltic region, " Shoigu said. According to him, a total of 40 thousand military personnel and 15 thousand units of weapons and equipment, including strategic aviation, will be concentrated near our territory.
"In response to the alliance's military activities threatening Russia, we have taken appropriate measures," the minister said. - As part of the control classes for the winter training period, a sudden check of the combat readiness of the troops of the Western and Southern military Districts was carried out. Within three weeks, two armies and three formations of the Airborne forces were successfully transferred to the western borders of the Russian Federation in the areas of performing combat training tasks."
Shoigu believes that the troops have shown full readiness and ability to perform tasks to ensure the military security of the country.
Now these associations and formations are involved in the exercises. It is planned that the inspection in the troops will be completed in two weeks.
Yuri Gavrilov
