Russia warns of deteriorating security due to NATO drills in Baltic
Russia has a negative perception of the Ramstein Alloy military drills being carried out by the air forces of NATO and its partners over the Baltic Sea, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told RIA Novosti.
“Such drills diminish the regional security. This primarily concerns the Baltic region, which has been the calmest in a military sense for decades,” Grushko commented.
The Ramstein Alloy drills, which are held three times a year, began on the morning of June 26. The Ämari Air Base in Estonia will serve as the primary base for NATO planes.
The goal of the exercises is to improve the defense of the airspace over Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and the Baltic Sea. Pilots will also work on cooperative management of squadrons and collaboration between militaries, and will improve their patrolling skills.
The drills will involve pilots from the Baltic states, France, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Germany, Norway, the Netherlands, Sweden and Finland.