Russia and Belarus begin a week of major maneuvers at the gates of the EU
Maneuvers during the Russian-Belarusian exercise Zapad 17, in September 2017. Belarussian Defense Ministry / Handout via REUTERS
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Like every four years, the Russian and Belarusian armies will begin a large-scale exercise, called Zapad, this Friday, September 10, for six days.
Troops will be deployed along the border with the Baltic States and Poland.
A maneuver closely followed by NATO forces.
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To avoid the presence of international observers, Russia has made a habit of compartmentalizing its major military exercises into a series of smaller exercises ... and thus going under the radar.
But according to the French company Preligens, which offers artificial intelligence solutions for the intelligence world,
Zapad
21 (which means West) has something to impress.
The maneuver is expected to mobilize 200,000 troops in total. The specialized Military Zone site (
opex360.com
) details: 80 aircraft, 300 tanks, 10 ships. "
Each Zapad edition causes a significant increase in tensions between Moscow and the border countries
", further indicates the company Préligens. And for good reason, four years ago, Zapad simulated an attack on the Baltic States.
NATO Secretary General Jens Soltenberg is arguing this time for Russia to behave in a transparent and predictable manner.
In recent days, however, the Swedish Air Force, the Air Force, the German Navy and also the US Air Force have deployed reconnaissance planes off the Kaliningrad enclave.
Objective: take the measure of Zapad 21 and ensure that there are no provocations on the north-eastern border of the European Union.
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