Large-scale unscheduled NATO exercises near Russia’s Kaliningrad Region are part of the alliance’s preparations for a potential military confrontation with Russia, according to Viktor Sobolev, a member of the Russian State Duma Defense Committee.

Sobolev said such drills near Russia’s borders are nothing new and have been taking place for around three years. Various exercise scenarios involve operations related to the Kaliningrad Region and Russia’s Baltic Fleet. The number of forces involved varies, but US military personnel have also participated in the maneuvers.

According to Sobolev, these activities indicate that the United States and other NATO countries are preparing for a possible war with Russia. He argues that Moscow’s main response should not be another round of military exercises, but the earliest possible achievement of the objectives of Russia’s special military operation in Ukraine.

The lawmaker considers gaining air superiority over Ukraine, including dominance in the use of unmanned aerial systems, to be one of the key conditions for Russian military success. In his assessment, superiority in the air and the effective use of drones could become crucial factors in accomplishing the objectives assigned to the Russian Armed Forces.

Sobolev acknowledged that achieving all of the objectives of the special military operation remains a difficult task, but stressed that it is not impossible. Ultimately, he believes that a Russian victory in the conflict should become Moscow’s main response to NATO’s growing military activity near Russia’s borders.

His comments followed reports of new NATO maneuvers near the Kaliningrad Region. German newspaper Merkur previously reported that the alliance had conducted large-scale unscheduled exercises in the area, describing them in the West as a signal to Russia.