MOSCOW, August 8. /TASS/. Romania, at the US’ bidding, is turning into a bridgehead for projecting threats toward Russia, Alexander Stepanov, military expert, program director of the Academy of Political Sciences, told TASS.

"The US continues to bolster military infrastructure in the direction of Russia. The emphasis is yet again on the Black Sea region. As the Kiev regime flails militarily, the North Atlantic bloc is boosting its southeastern borders by increasing Romania’s logistics capabilities. <…> Under the guise of defending neighbors from fictitious threats, Bucharest is essentially taking on a role as the next foothold for projecting threats in the Russian direction. This scenario greatly resembles Finland’s comprehensive militarization by the US and is unfolding according to the same geopolitical playbook: force diplomacy, the media priming of public opinion, infrastructure for thermonuclear weapons and cutting-edge instruments of strategic reconnaissance," he thinks.

The expert specified that along with the key hub in Poland’s Rzeszow, Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base "will acquire the status of a new bridgehead," becoming NATO’s largest base in Europe, with double the capacity of Germany’s Ramstein base. "Let me reiterate that the port of Constanta is already involved in the bloc’s military activity on the Russian track. Last year, on its basis with the coordination of the command of Romania’s fleet, NATO’s Poseidon 2023 multinational strategic drills were held with the participation of over 750 servicemen from nine NATO countries: Belgium, Bulgaria, the UK, Greece, Italy, Romania, the US, Turkey and France. The exercise actively practiced the strategy of using autonomous surface and underwater systems, the mining of Black Sea waters and acts of sabotage," Stepanov added.

He noted that currently, Mihail Kogalniceanu Air Base serves as a headquarters for NATO air patrol missions over the Black Sea, including with the use of drones. "The strategic location of the facility is ideal for reconnaissance in the direction of Crimea, the distance to Sevastopol is only 400 kilometers. NATO’s plans on expanding the potential of this air base possibly include expanding the airstrip to accommodate US strategic bombers as well as developing infrastructure for F-35s," Stepanov specified.

In 2023, Bucharest approved NATO’s initiative to use fifth-generation multifunctional aircraft in air defense, the expert reiterated. At that time, Romania’s Supreme Council of National Defense approved the purchase of multifunctional F-35 fighter jets "to bolster the country’s air defense," he noted. The council also expressed concern over "external meddling in the democratic process in the Republic of Moldova," Stepanov concluded.