Norwegian Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen called on Russia to conduct military exercises "West-2021" more openly and predictably. This was reported by the Norwegian publication NRK.
According to him, Oslo calls on Moscow to be open in the exercises and comply with the obligation of transparency in accordance with the Vienna Convention.
"We are seeing an increase in Russia's self-confident behavior in the Far North and a steady increase in Russian military activity in the areas neighboring Norway, both in the north and in the south," he said on September 16.
He added that Norway and the allied countries are closely monitoring one of the largest Russian military exercises since the Cold War.
The closing ceremony of the large-scale strategic exercises of Russia and Belarus "West-2021" was held on September 17 at the Obuz-Lesnovsky training ground in the Brest region of the Republic of Belarus. The best servicemen were awarded with awards.
Military expert Viktor Murakhovsky, in an interview with Izvestia, positively assessed the Zapad-2021 exercises. Compared to the previous experience of five or six years ago, Russia has made great progress in the aspects of joint actions, the organization of coalition groups, as well as the use of troops in various strategic areas.
Belarusian Defense Minister Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin said that at the Zapad-2021 exercises, the armies of the two countries showed their readiness to ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Union State.
In turn, the Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation, Colonel-General Sergei Istrakov, pointed out that the military command bodies showed the unity of the staff and full compatibility of the controls.
The exercises involved about 200 thousand military personnel, more than 80 aircraft and helicopters, up to 760 units of military equipment, including more than 290 tanks, more than 240 guns, multiple rocket launchers and mortars, as well as up to 15 ships. The troops trained at five training grounds in Belarus and nine in Russia, in the Baltic Sea. Moscow has repeatedly stressed that the exercises are purely defensive in nature.
