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NATO doubles troops in Central, Eastern Europe to over 30,000, says Russian defense chief

Sergey Shoigu emphasized that the surge in NATO troops "will put Russia’s allies in danger, first and foremost, our brotherly country of Belarus"

MOSCOW, November 2. /TASS/. NATO has more than doubled the number of troops deployed to Eastern and Central Europe to over 30,000, Russian Defense Minister Army General Sergey Shoigu said at a joint board meeting of the Russian and Belarusian defense ministries on Wednesday.

"Troops from non-regional NATO countries have been deployed to Eastern and Central Europe, as well as to the Baltic states. New multinational battalion tactical groups are being formed in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia. The number of these forces has risen by 2.5 times since February 2022, exceeding 30,000, and may increase further in the near future," Shoigu noted.

The Russian defense chief emphasized that the surge in NATO troops "will put Russia’s allies in danger, first and foremost, our brotherly country of Belarus."

Shoigu stated that given this situation, the Russian Defense Ministry considered prioritizing the military security of the Union State of Russia and Belarus.

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NATO Sergey Shoigu

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