Gen. Valery Gerasimov, the chief of the Russian General Staff, delivered an extensive report to military attachés in Moscow, yesterday, in a follow on to the Defense Ministry Board meeting of Dec. 21, which was addressed by both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu.
He referred, in particular, to NATO, which continues its buildup and activities on Russia’s periphery. “Alliance troop training activities are carried out with a clearly anti-Russian orientation, in which non-aligned countries are increasingly being involved. There has been an increase in provocative activities along the Russian borders,” Gerasimov said. “The uncontrolled build-up of missile defense capabilities continues, which has a significant impact on the balance of forces, giving one of the parties an advantage in the use of strategic weapons.
