Some 9,000 troops from 20 NATO countries have been participating this month in military exercises in the Baltic Sea region, which has become strategically sensitive following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Their goal is to enhance interoperability of the forces and to highlight the allied commitment to joint security, officials said.
The exercises by navy, air force and ground troops are being held on the Baltic Sea, as well as in Sweden and its strategic island of Gotland, and in Lithuania, Poland and Germany.
They will run through Thursday and include some 50 navy ships and 45 aircraft and helicopters. The drills are organized by NATO’s Naval Striking and Support Forces and the U.S. Navy's 6th Fleet.
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