Russian forces continue westward advance amid NATO presence approaching Russian border

Swedish and Finnish troops are taking part in a “Nordic Response“ NATO drill, kicked off on Monday, in northern Finland. The 10-day exercise - involving over 20,000 troops from more than a dozen countries - is taking place in a high north being transformed by the accession of Sweden and Finland. The purpose of the exercises is to strengthen the defence in the high north and reinforce troops in order to be capable of carrying out a defensive joint operation in Arctic conditions. Meanwhile, top European Union officials on Tuesday outlined ambitious plans to boost their defence industry. On the other hand, Russia has strengthened its military forces in the north and west of the country to counter what Moscow perceives as a build-up of NATO forces near Russia. In May 2022, Sweden and Finland applied to join NATO, abandoning their long-standing policy of military neutrality, after Russia launched its “special military operation“ in Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022. __________________ ShanghaiEye focuses on producing top-quality contents. Nobody knows SHANGHAI better than us. Please subscribe to us ☻☻☻ __________________ For more stories, please click ■ What’s up today in Shanghai, the most updated news of the city ■ Amazing Shanghai, exploring the unknown corners of the city, learning the people, food and stories behind them ■ What Chinese people’s lives are like during the post COVID-19 period ■ Views of foreign scholars on China and its affairs ■ Foreign faces in Shanghai, people living in this city sharing their true feelings ■ Mini-docs showing why China is the country it is today __________________ ☎Leave us messages if you have any suggestions or questions! Thank you!