Russia’s National Guard Conduct Snap Combat Readiness Check Amid Tensions With NATO

Russia’s Federal National Guard Troops Service launched snap combat readiness check, according to reports Monday. The inspections began in the Central Federal District and will be carried out in seven other federal districts.

"By decision of the Russian National Guard Troops Commander-in-Chief Army General Viktor Zolotov, a snap combat readiness check is being held from March 13. This inspection, which will start in the Central Federal District and will continue in other federal districts," the service said, according to Tass news agency.

Read: NATO's military buildup in Black Sea could lead to Cold War, Russian envoy says

The National Guard troops "will practice their readiness to combat subversive activity and reconnaissance groups, terrorist and extremist formations, and will also carry out a set of measures to strengthen the defense of crucial state facilities in the areas of power supplies, industry and transport," the service reportedly said.

According to Tass, some of the guard’s governing authorities, military units and formations were placed on alert.

The development comes after a March 6 report by London-based Royal United Services Institute urged NATO to fortify its presence in the North Atlantic Ocean to counter threats from the Russian navy — mainly from the Northern Fleet. However, Nikolai Topornin, an associate professor of European Law at the Russian Foreign Ministry's Moscow State Institute of International Relations rubbished the claims in an interview with Radio Sputnik.

"All work is paid for, and this report is no exception. How objective it is and the competency of the person who prepared it is another issue. It's one thing if he has tried to give an objective picture, but if he wanted to spread some fear and think up some stories, that's quite another and it seems to me that in this case, it's most likely the second one," Topornin reportedly said.

NATO and Russia have undergone extensive military escalations in recent months. The 28-bloc nation has accused Moscow of increasing its power in the Baltic region. NATO’s military buildup has focused on Poland and the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. These countries have expressed concerns over Russia's growing political and military assertion in the region. However, Moscow has denied the claims and accused the U.S. of expanding its geopolitical power along Russia's borders.