Norway, along with its partners, is closely monitoring Russia’s “steadily expanding military action” in Norway’s border areas, according to Norwegian Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen, Kommersant reports.
According to the Norwegian state television and radio corporation, he requested openness in the conduct of the West 2021 military exercise.
“We urge Russia to be transparent about its activities and to adhere to the transparency commitments set forth in the Vienna Document,” the minister added.
Jens Stoltenberg, NATO Secretary-General, has previously made a similar comment.
From September 10 to 16, military exercises West-2021 were staged concurrently at nine Russian and five Belarusian training fields. They engaged over 200 thousand troops, over 80 planes and helicopters, 760 pieces of military equipment, including tanks, multiple-launch rocket systems, and mortars, and around 15 ships.
Around 2,000 troops from member nations of the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and other countries took part in the exercise.
