NATO spokesman Dylan White said that Russia had briefed the alliance on the Vostok-2018 planned exercise in May and that NATO planned to monitor it.
According to the spokesman, Russia had invited military attaches from NATO countries based in Moscow to observe the war games, an offer White said was under consideration.
“All nations have the right to exercise their armed forces, but it is essential that this is done in a transparent and predictable manner,” White said in an emailed statement.
“Vostok demonstrates Russia’s focus on exercising large-scale conflict. It fits into a pattern we have seen over some time: a more assertive Russia, significantly increasing its defense budget and its military presence," Reuters cited the statement as saying.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said that next month Russia will hold its biggest war games in nearly four decades.
