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NATO escalating tension in all directions, says Russia’s Vienna talks envoy

"Russia keeps a close watch on NATO reconnaissance flights and their intensity over the Baltic and Black Seas has risen several-fold," Konstantin Gavrilov said

MOSCOW, December 6. /TASS/. NATO is whipping up tension in all directions and, in particular, is intensifying reconnaissance flights near the Russian borders, Head of the Russian delegation at the Vienna military security and arms control talks Konstantin Gavrilov said during a live broadcast on the Rossiya-24 TV Channel on Monday.

"Tension is being escalated in every direction. NATO members are holding drills on the borders many times more intensively than before. All this is an alarming factor," he said.

Russia keeps a close watch on NATO reconnaissance flights and their intensity over the Baltic and Black Seas has risen several-fold," the envoy said.

"It [the intensity] reached 50 flights over Russian territories a week," he said.

"If there is a red line, which no one wants to recognize, this relates, for example, to the deployment of NATO forces, strike and missile systems in Ukraine and the presence there. This is fraught with serious consequences for those who are doing this," the Russian envoy warned.

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