MOSCOW, February 16. /TASS/. The United States has built up its ground forces in Europe by 30% in the past seven years while the intensity American bombers’ flights near the Russian borders has grown by 40% over the year, Deputy Secretary of Russia’s Security Council Mikhail Popov said in an interview with the Rossiyskaya Gazeta daily on Wednesday.

"Its [the US] main goal in Europe is to create a constant threat" to Russia and thus a substantial US force numbering over 60,000 military personnel, 200 tanks and about 150 combat planes has been set up in the region," the Russian security official pointed out.

"The structure and combat capabilities of the American military contingent have grown substantially over the past seven years, the strength of the US ground forces in Europe has increased by 30% and the amount of armor four-fold," the deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council said.

Also, tactical nuclear weapons "are maintained in their standby mode and capabilities of the European segment of the US global missile shield are being beefed up," he added.

In general, the US armed forces have substantially ramped up their activities in the western strategic direction," the Russian security official pointed out.

"In the past year alone, the intensity of flights by American strategic bombers near the Russian borders has increased by 40%. The intensity of aerial reconnaissance for the purpose of revealing possibilities of breaching Russian restricted (prohibited) access areas, first of all, in the Kaliningrad Region and Crimea, has almost doubled," he said.

Also, "NATO warships continue their provocative activities in the Black Sea," he added.