Thread by @RALee85

During a visit to the Northern Fleet today, Sergei Shoigu said the situation in the Arctic is complicated and that "competition between the world’s leading powers for access to the Arctic Ocean’s resources and transportation routes is increasing."
vk.com/mil?w=wall-133…

Shoigu said the US and NATO were increasing their military presence in the Arctic and in the Black Sea area and Baltic region. He said that, over the past 3 years, NATO has increased its exercises near Russia's borders, and he mentioned the NATO Four 30s plan in the Baltics. 2/

He said, "the intensity of air recon has grown twofold and naval reconnaissance by 50% compared to last year" and that "40,000 troops and 15,000 pieces of military hardware, including strategic aircraft, will be concentrated" near Russia's borders. 3/
function.mil.ru/news_page/coun…

Shoigu: NATO "annually holds up to 40 large operational training measures with a clearly anti-Russian bias in Europe. In the spring of this year, the NATO allied forces launched Defender Europe 2021 drills, the largest exercise over the past 30 years," 4/
tass.com/defense/1277345