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Military drills

Senator slams recruiting Russian-speaking extras for NATO drills as 'provocation'

This Washington’s step is aimed at pushing Russia into "spontaneous ill-considered actions," Russian senator Frants Klintsevich said

MOSCOW, March 31. /TASS/. Drills of NATO and the United States in Germany potentially involving Russian-speaking extras are a provocation designed to force Russia to take ill-considered steps, Russian senator Frants Klintsevich told reporters on Friday.

"The plan of NATO and the US to hold exercises in Germany involving Russian-speaking extras who will play civilians, no matter what the Pentagon says on this, is a severe provocation," said Klintsevich, First Deputy Chairman of Russia’s Federation Council Committee for Defense and Security.

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Russian ambassador urges NATO to abandon military domination policy

This Washington’s step is aimed at pushing Russia into "spontaneous ill-considered actions," he said. "In your dreams, our nerves are strong enough. Of course, certain conclusions will be made," Klintsevich stressed.

"In general, if the drills are held in the announced format, this will narrow the window of opportunity of conducting a civilized dialogue between Russia and NATO," the senator said.

Earlier mass media reports said one of Germany’s recruiting agencies published a job offer for Russian extras to take part in the NATO drills scheduled for April 28. The actors will pretend to be civilians who live in the zone of a potential conflict.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said earlier in the day he was sure that Russian special services were aware of the German agency’s plan to recruit Russian extras for NATO’s drills.

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