GENEVA, September 16. /TASS/. NATO member states plan to escalate the military confrontation with Russia bringing it to the so-called hot phase no later than 2029-2030, head of the Russian delegation to the negotiations on military security and arms control Yulia Zhdanova said on Wednesday.

"Europe makes no secret of the fact that it is modernizing the airport network, logistics, railway crossings and bridges as well as their integration into the so-called military Schengen system that is subordinated to a long-term military confrontation with Russia - all of this is planned to escalate tensions into a hot phase no later than 2029-2030," Zhdanova stated.

She added that regarding NATO’s eastern flank, "new brigade-level military formations are being deployed, command structures and equipment depots are being established to increase the military presence," and the logistics infrastructure is being modernized and procedures for the cross-border movement of military contingents are being simplified."