13:07, 27-Oct-2017
Russia War Games: Moscow accused of misleading West over size of Zapad drills
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NATO has accused Russia of misleading the alliance over the scope of its war games last month. But Russia says NATO is stirring up anti-Russian propaganda.
Russia's defense ministry says the exercises, known as Zapad, included some 12,700 troops. It says September's week-long war games focused on attacks by militants. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says the actual troop numbers were higher, and the scenario was different. NATO diplomats put the number at 100-thousand, and say the drills were to test combat capability in Europe.
NATO urged Moscow to be clear about its military exercises and to invite more observers. The Cold War-era treaty Vienna document says exercises involving more than 130-thousand troops should be open to observers.