Russia to form 20 new military units in west to counter NATO

Russia’s defense minister says the military will form 20 new units in the country’s west this year to counter what he described as a growing threat from NATO

MOSCOW -- The Russian military will form 20 new units in the country's west this year to counter what it claims is a growing threat from NATO. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu made the announcement Monday at a meeting with top military officials. He pointed to a growing number of flights by U.S. strategic bombers near Russia's borders, deployments of NATO warships and increasingly frequent and massive drills by alliance forces. He charged that such actions “destroy the international security system and force us to take the relevant countermeasures." “We will form another 20 units and formations in the Western Military District until the year's end,” Shoigu said