NATO’s ongoing ‘Steadfast Defender 2024’ maneuvers are heightening tensions globally by enacting a military confrontation with Moscow, the secretary of the Security Council of Russia has said. Nikolay Patrushev also cited the alliance’s growing military spending as an indication of its “increasingly aggressive nature.”
The exercises, hailed as the largest NATO has held in decades, kicked off in late January and will end in May. According to Supreme Allied Commander for Europe Christopher Cavoli, the drills feature some 90,000 troops from all 32 member states. In addition, 1,100 combat vehicles, including 133 tanks and 533 infantry fighting vehicles, as well as over 50 naval vessels and 80 helicopters, drones and fighter jets are taking part, it is believed.