Kyle Mizokami
Security, Europe
And another is coming soon…
A military exercise with origins in the former Soviet Union is now exacerbating tensions with NATO, particularly those members facing the Baltic Sea. Conducted four years ago, Zapad (“West”) 2013 was deeply illustrative not only of Russia’s strategic goals, but of how it planned to fight future wars, particularly the annexation of Crimea. The biennial exercise is scheduled once again for this year, prompting the Baltic countries to ask NATO and the United States for increased military assistance.
The Zapad ’81 military exercises were the largest ever held by the Soviet Union. Strategic/operational in …read more
Source: The National Interest
