Graphic shows location of Zapad military exercises, and NATO’s enhanced Forward Presence battlegrounds.
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MILITARY

NATO multinational battle groups in Eastern Europe fully operational

By Jordi Bou

September 14, 2017 - September 20, 2017 - Baltic defence officials are urging NATO allies to deepen security
co-operation as Zapad-2017, a joint military exercise involving Russian
and Belarusian forces, gets underway. NATO’s four multinational battle groups in the Baltic states and Poland are now fully operational.

Observers say that while there is little chance of Russia using the exercise as cover for an actual invasion, there are concerns about what troops and equipment it will leave behind afterwards.

Moscow has said about 12,700 Russian and Belarusian troops will take part in the exercises, to be held in Belarus and Russia’s exclave of Kaliningrad, but Lithuania and Estonia have put the figure as high as 100,000.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 11/09/2017; STORY: Graphic News
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