Russia accuses NATO of beefing up forces

MOSCOW - The Russian Defense Ministry on Wednesday accused the North Atlantic Treaty Organization of strengthening combat forces near Russia's border and warned that Moscow will take mirror-like actions against NATO's moves.

"Since the beginning of the year, NATO countries have conducted 13 large-scale exercises in the Southwest Strategic Area with over 40,000 troops and 2,000 units of military equipment," Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said .

"This forces us to take symmetrical measures to neutralize the emerging threats and combine strategic deterrence with increasing combat readiness," he said.