OREANDA-NEWS  On the territory of Norway on November, 7 ended NATO exercise Trident Juncture with the participation of the military of the United States, Germany, Sweden and Finland. The exercises have become the largest in Europe since the cold war.

Trident Juncture exercises are held every three years and are considered the largest maneuvers of NATO. This time the exercises took place on the coast of Norway from October, 25 to November, 7.

The exercise was attended by more than 45 thousand soldiers from 31 countries, 250 aircraft, 65 ships, as well as more than 10 thousand units of military equipment

According to the scenario of the exercises, the country is being defended from the fictional state of Murinus. To free the captured scenario area required the movement of troops by sea, the landing and strikes from air and worked through the exercises

Soldiers of Norway, Canada and Sweden, as well as the marine corps of the US expeditionary force in the exercises represent the advancing army of Murinus or the forces of the North. At sea they are supported by ships of the Canadian Navy, Denmark, Norway, Poland, the UK and the USA. According to the scenario, they are opposed by the forces of the South-soldiers of the Marines of Belgium, Great Britain, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Canada, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Turkey, Finland, France and Sweden

The exercises have become the largest for Norway since 1980. Contingents of the United States, Germany and Norway - the largest in these exercises - 18.5 thousand, 9 thousand and 6.8 thousand soldiers.

"The NATO leadership itself knows best that the long-planned maneuvers are likely to pass without any problems, but their capabilities in case of a real attack will be very limited. This applies to infrastructure, vehicles, and combat capabilities on the water and in the air, but also the prospects of placing large military units in the East. The question arises: is there any sense in such large-scale military maneuvers in this form in our time?"- wrote about the teachings of the German newspaper Die Welt

The Department of information and press of the Russian foreign Ministry called the exercise directed against Russia. According to the representative of the Ministry, they may cause a complication of the military-political situation in the region

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said that the exercises are not directed against a particular country, but send a signal that "NATO is ready and able to protect all allies from any threat".