MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. Military units from NATO's extra-regional countries are stationed in Eastern Europe on a permanent basis, the chief of Russia's General Staff, General of the Army Valery Gerasimov, told the Moscow International Security Conference on Wednesday. 

"Up to 10,000 troops from the alliance's extra-regional countries are stationed in Eastern Europe on the permanent basis," Gerasimov said.

He warned that the strength of NATO's forward forces, including the contingent of US troops near Russia's western borders, would keep growing.

"This is well seen in the 2020 agreement between Washington and Warsaw, envisaging additional deployment of command centers, logistic units, special operations forces, and army aviation in Polish territory," he said.

The Moscow International Security conference has been held under the aegis of the Russian Defense Ministry annually since 2012. The forum has systematically enhanced its role as a prestigious platform for discussing crucial issues of international security and invariably drawn great interest in Russia and abroad.