NATO Fighter-Jet Exercises Coincide With Massive Russian Military Drills

The United States and eight European nations began Arctic training exercises with approximately 100 fighter jets in Scandinavia on Monday. The exercises in Norway, Sweden and Finland will involve 3,600 troops and 115 fighter planes, and last until June 5.

On the same day, Russia launched a large four-day military drill with 250 aircraft, 12,000 service personnel, and 700 pieces of weaponry in northwest Russia, just 500 miles away from the Finnish border. The Russian drills will also include test cruise-missile strikes.

The Defense Ministry described the drills as a “massive surprise inspection” to check combat readiness. It is the third major Russian military drill in three months, while the nato exercises are the largest scheduled in Europe this year.

The overlapping military exercises are one of the clearest signs yet of the heightened tensions between Russia and nato.