Russia says it will join drills with NATO member ships for first time in decade

Russia said on Thursday it would take part in drills involving more than 30 countries off the coast of Pakistan, in rare joint exercises with Russian and NATO member ships.

The AMAN-2021 anti-piracy drills are set to be held in waters near Karachi in February 2021 and will involve British, US, Turkish, Chinese, Japanese and other forces, the Russian defense ministry said in a statement.

In September chief of the Russian army’s General Staff Valery Gerasimov accused NATO of increasing its military presence at the Russian border.

In a report published earlier this month, NATO said that Russia will likely remain its main threat in the coming decade.

(Reuters, AFP)