Around 20,000 soldiers from 13 countries have commenced major maneuvers in the far north of Europe to defend against a hypothetical attack on NATO territories. This includes Finland and Sweden, which joined the alliance following Russia’s attack on Ukraine, according to the Norwegian military.
Approximately 1,500 men and women from the German Armed Forces are participating in the “Northern Response 2024” exercise, as stated by the German military in Alta, located in the far north of Norway.
In this scenario, soldiers are preparing to launch a counterattack on Thursday from the Alta region to recapture areas to the south that are already occupied by Russia.
NATO countries are deploying a wide range of weapons systems for training, including 100 aircraft and naval forces equipped with frigates and submarines.
German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius traveled to Alta to kick off the active part of the maneuver that started at midnight.
The previous day, he visited a Norwegian military station on the border with Russia and discussed increasing the German military presence in the far north.
On the other side, the Russian Foreign Ministry described the NATO exercises planned in Norway, Finland, and Sweden, which border Russia, as provocative, creating additional risks in Northern Europe.
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko stated that the Russian military is closely monitoring these exercises, having all the necessary means to do so. He emphasized that the exercises are clearly provocative in nature and any training near the frontline increases the risk of military conflict, but assured that all necessary measures have been taken to ensure the defense capability of their country.
In January, NATO said it would launch its largest exercise since the Cold War, rehearsing how U.S. troops could reinforce European allies in countries bordering Russia and on the alliance’s eastern flank if a conflict were to flare up with a “near-peer” adversary. Some 90,000 troops are due to join the Steadfast Defender 2024 drills that will run through May.
The last exercises of a similar size were Reforger – during the Cold War in 1988 with 125,000 participants – and Trident Juncture in 2018 with 50,000 participants, according to NATO.
