MOSCOW (Sputnik) — NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg earlier claimed that Russia's snap military drills 'undermine transparency and predictability' of military activities.
"None of the Russian military exercises, including snap drills, violates international agreements or treaties that stipulate prior notice of such events," ministry's spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said in a statement.
NATO claims that Russia is violating mechanisms of military transparency in Europe are an attempt to raise anti-Russia sentiment in order to increase the Alliance's military spending, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
"The degree of Russophobic hysteria has been sharply increased by some representatives of the Alliance ahead of the NATO summit in Europe. It is obvious that the true purpose of these statements on the 'Russian' military threat is intentional boosting of panic and maintaining of the image of a treacherous enemy, fighting which requires bigger military budgets," ministry's spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said.
Earlier on Tuesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered large-scale snap drills to test battle-readiness of Russia's Armed Forces. The inspection will also assess how smoothly the army, local authorities and military enlistment offices can organize a field mobile command and control centers.
Anakonda 2016, one of the largest military drills held in Poland over 25 years, began on June 6 and will last until June 17. It involves troops from over 20 NATO member states, bringing together some 31,000 servicemen, 100 aircraft, 12 vessels and 3,000 vehicles.
NATO has been reinforcing its military presence in Europe, particularly in the Eastern European states, since the outbreak of the Ukrainian crisis, citing Russia's alleged interference in the conflict as a justification for the move. Moscow has repeatedly denied the accusations, calling NATO's military buildup near Russia’s borders provocative.
