Flaunting muscles in face of Georgia, NATO

Another obvious purpose for Russia to showcase its military forces is to prevent possible Georgian military action against its breakaways regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia, analysts say.

"The incumbent Georgian leadership has not given up new military adventures with regard to Abkhazia and South Ossetia or attempts to resolve the territorial issue by armed force," Interfax quoted a high-ranking source from the Russian Armed Forces' general staff as saying.

Shortly after Russia's "Caucasus-2008" exercises ended last year, Georgia and Russia fought a five-day war over the rebel region of South Ossetia. Russia soon drove Georgian forces out of the region and recognized South Ossetia and Abkhazia as independent states.

Russia has explicitly stated that this year's exercises will take into consideration experiences gained during the brief conflict last August.

Some analysts also point out that the drills are an apparent response to NATO's May military exercises in Georgia involving more than a dozen NATO members and partner countries. Russia was strongly opposed to the exercises that Medvedev called "provocation."

Russia has not invited NATO to observe the "Caucasus-2009" war games.

Meanwhile on Monday, the Georgian Foreign Ministry called the Russian drills "a source of concern".

"These exercises are a source of concern because they involve an unprecedented number of servicemen and the newest military hardware of Russia," Interfax quoted Alexander Nalbandov, Georgia's deputy foreign minister, as saying.

Dmitry Rogozin, Russia's NATO envoy, said the objective of the drills is to enhance his country's defense capabilities.

"From the point of view of chronology, the Russian exercises come as a kind of response," Rogozin said in Brussells. "We are doing it for the sake of Russia's defense potential in general and in areas which, in our opinion, face threats."

"If we find it necessary to increase the defense capabilities of our territory, we will hold such exercises," he said.

Russia also has planned to stage joint large-scale strategic military exercises with Belarus this fall. The drills, dubbed "Zapad 2009 (West 2009)," will involve about 13,000 service personnel.

Two other large-scale drills are also scheduled in North and South Russia, with the participation of three naval fleets and three military districts, according to media reports.

(Xinhua News Agency June 30, 2009)