Today the troops of NATO member countries will complete their largest military exercise organized by the Western defense alliance since the end of the Cold War, which aims to deter possible Russian aggression, DPA reported.
The series of military maneuvers under the name "Unwavering Defender 2024" (Steadfast Defender 2024) were launched by NATO in response to the changed security situation in Europe as a result of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago.
According to data from the NATO headquarters, more than 90,000 soldiers from all 32 member states of the alliance, as well as 50 warships, 1,100 combat vehicles and more than 80 combat aircraft, participated in the exercises, which began about four months ago.
The exercise focuses in particular on the warning and deployment of national and multinational land forces on NATO's eastern flank, from the Arctic Circle to the Carpathians in Romania.
DPA notes that the scenario for the large-scale military maneuvers is a Russian attack on allied territory, which falls within the scope of Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which states that an attack on one NATO ally is considered an attack on all allies.
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Article 5 has been applied only once - after the terrorist attacks of "Al Qaeda" against the USA on September 11, 2001, DPA recalls.