NATO holds first war games on Baltic corridor

Officials have said that NATO held its first war games focused in defending the Suwalki Gap amid tensions with Russia. The Gap, a land corridor critical to the security of its Baltic allies, is sandwiched between Russia’s highly militarised Kaliningrad exclave and Belarus. The gap, depending on the military analysis, varies from 60 to 100 km. Moscow continues to deny any territorial ambitions and says a recent Nato build-up in the Baltic region on Russia’s border has upset the balance of power. Delia Grybauskaite, the Lithuanian President, said the drills sent a ‘strong message of Nato readiness and commitment to ensure security of the region’. She added: “Facing threats, we are confident in ourselves, our allies and collective defence capabilities.”