Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Especially the naval part of the drills have angered Moscow.
NATO is running a large-scale drill along the Russian border.
The annual exercise called “Spring Storm” was launched on May 4 in Estonia and is scheduled to last nearly a month.
At its peak it will involve more than 12,000 personnel from a number of NATO allies and Ukraine gathering mainly in Estonia.
The objective of the exercise is to simulate large-scale conventional warfare, but according to Russia, it is actually part of a bigger plan by NATO.
A plan that involves seizing Russian territory.
Boiling point at sea
Nikolay Korchunov, the Russian ambassador to Norway, claimed in a recent interview with the Russian state news agency TASS that NATO is actually practicing a naval blockade and subsequent seizure of the Russian Kaliningrad Region.
This Russian exclave is completely cut off from the mainland. It is wedged tightly between Poland and Lithuania, giving the Kremlin a vital and highly strategic foothold on the Baltic coast.
Korchunov told TASS that NATO countries display a “characteristic arrogance” in their approach to the region. He claimed they “tend to consider the Baltic Sea their ‘inner lake.'”
Blocking commercial shipping lanes
The ambassador leveled another heavy accusation at member states.
He claimed they are illegally blocking commercial shipping lanes, arguing these restrictive actions happen “under the false guise of fighting the so-called shadow fleet.”
He did not provide any evidence to support his claims.
Ready to strike back
The ambassador issued a stark warning. He noted that the military alliance possesses the required naval strength to actually execute such blockades, adding that the West rarely lets international law stand in the way of its dominance.
Still, Moscow insists it will not back down. “Russia has something to respond to the threats to its strategic maritime communications,” Korchunov stated to TASS.
He mentioned that the Russian Defense Ministry and the Security Council are actively preparing practical military measures.
Sources: TASS, NATO
