The Russian Navy will participate in joint exercises alongside NATO members for the first time in 10 years, the state-run RIA Novosti news agency reported, citing the Black Sea Fleet.
The Aman-2021 multinational exercises will take place in February off the coast of Karachi, Pakistan.
In addition to Russia, the exercises will also feature ships from Pakistan, the United States, Britain, China, Japan, Turkey, the Philippines, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Indonesia.
The last time the Russian Navy operated together with NATO ships was in 2011 off the coast of Spain as part of the Bold Monarch exercise.
In September, Russia’s Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov accused the western military bloc of beefing up its presence close to Russian borders.
“The growth of U.S. and NATO military activity is not taking place in the Atlantic or Caribbean, but at a distance of 20-30 kilometers from Russian borders,” Gerasimov said. He added that reports of Russian aggressive behavior that are being circulated in NATO are false.
A NATO report released earlier this month identifies Russia as one of its main threats in the coming decade.
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