MOSCOW, March 13. /ITAR-TASS/. NATO is strengthening its air grouping and increasing its reconnaissance activities alongside the border with Belarus, Nikolai Bordyuzha, Secretary-General of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), told journalists on Thursday. “We are concerned with the fact that NATO is deploying its air grouping near the Belarusian border. We have also noticed increased reconnaissance activities in the vicinity of that region,” Bordyuzha said, adding that any counter measures would still be premature.

Bordyuzha also noted that the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) did not consider Russia to be a party in the Ukrainian conflict and was not preparing any collective action in reaction to Ukraine’s domestic crisis.

“The CSTO cannot plan any actions with regards to Ukraine, which is not a CSTO member,” Bordyuzha explained.

He added that Russia was forced to take measures to protect the Russian-speaking population (in Ukraine) while Maidan’s supporters were already planning ‘cleansing’ in Crimea. Bordyuzha went on to say the events would have followed the same violent scenario that had been witnessed in other parts of Ukraine if it had not been for Russia’s political interference.

He pointed out that NATO’s information warfare experts were operating in Crimea.

“Naturally, we are following the events in Ukraine. We are watching how the Ukrainian territory is being used for information attacks against some countries, including CSTO member states,” Bordyuzha emphasised.

“We are watching NATO information warfare experts operating in Ukrainian territory,” Bordyuzha stressed.