NATO stages major Mediterranean drills to counter Russian threat
U.S. and NATO naval forces are conducting large-scale joint exercises off the coast of Italy, rehearsing possible scenarios for direct confrontation with Russia, CBS News reported.
The drills, part of the Neptune Strike exercise series, feature the British aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales and 26 American F‑35 fighter jets.
The participating countries include the United States, the United Kingdom, Greece, Poland, Türkiye, and five other NATO members. According to CBS, the forces are training for long-range strike operations along NATO’s eastern flank.
The main objective is to secure critical maritime corridors that, according to U.N. data, account for nearly 30 percent of the world’s oil shipments.
Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich, NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said the alliance must be prepared to face a potential two-front confrontation with Russia and China by 2027. He stressed that the primary goal is to prevent the outbreak of armed conflict.
Grynkewich said the exercises come amid a surge in Russian violations of NATO airspace.
Since September 2025, Russia has routinely breached the airspace of NATO member states. Russian military aircraft, drones, and unidentified UAVs have been detected over Poland, Romania, Estonia, Denmark, Spain, Latvia, France, Germany, and others. UAV threats have prompted repeated shutdowns at European airports.
On Sept. 23, during a joint press conference in New York with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. President Donald Trump said NATO allies should shoot down Russian aircraft entering their airspace.
In October, the European Parliament passed a resolution urging EU member states to down drones and aircraft that illegally cross into their skies.
