Massive scale war games are currently underway in Norway as NATO allies flex their military muscles. The exercises come after similar Russian ones concluded last month. The Russian exercise was much bigger, however — six times bigger, with over 300 000 troops involved.
29 NATO countries plus Sweden and Finland are participating in Exercise Trident Juncture, that's mostly based on defending a country from a "fictitious aggressor" — but with the geography of Norway, it's not difficult to see what fiction they're preparing for. The country shares a northern border with Russia.
"NATO's military activities near our borders have reached the highest level since the Cold War," said Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Wednesday, as well as saying that the exercise will be "simulating offensive military action."
The drills are already considered a success simply for managing to move all the personnel and equipment on location.
50 000 troops are involved in total. The American naval contingent is so large, they allegedly drank nearly all the beer in Rejkjavik according to Icelandic media reports.
The drills will conclude on November 7.
