NATO’s largest naval exercise commences in Romania with 12 allies, partner countries

The opening ceremony took place in the port of Constanta.

Troops and military equipment from Bulgaria, France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Turkiye, the United States and Romania are taking part in the exercises.

Sea Shield 24 focuses on training in all aspects of military operations, reported Radio Romania. The goal is to increase the level of operational cooperation between the participants of the drills.

"We have operational procedures to test, to develop in the anti-submarine, surface and anti-aircraft combat environment, in the Black Sea and in the river area of ​​responsibility as well," said Romanian Navy Chief of Staff Mihai Panait.

NATO's largest exercise in decades, Steadfast Defender, began on Jan. 24 and will last until the end of spring 2024.

According to Bild, the exercise scenario is a Russian attack on the territory of the Alliance, which leads to the activation of Article 5 of the NATO Treaty. It regulates the obligation to provide assistance in the bloc and states that an armed attack on one or more allies is considered an attack on all.

Bild reported earlier, citing its own sources in the intelligence of a European country, that Russia may try to attack Europe in late 2024 or early 2025, when the United States will be "leaderless" and will be able to come to the aid of European states only after some delay.

According to the Financial Times, NATO is convinced that Russia will definitely attack the Alliance. According to one senior NATO diplomat, "We do not have the luxury to think that Russia would stop in Ukraine”.