Moscow thundered: Are you coming at us? We are ready

Grusko commented on the start of the allied exercises "Strong Shield 5", which will last from May 12 to 18 in the Panevezys district, which borders another NATO member state, Latvia.

Lithuania will also host the large NATO exercise "Fortress Thunder 2025" from May 13 to 27, in which around 8,000 soldiers, dozens of ships and aircraft will participate.

According to Grushko, Russia is forming two military districts and creating a tank corps in Karelia in northwestern Russia to counter NATO.

He told the Russian state agency TASS that the allied exercises have the goals of "deterring Russia" and "preparing the Alliance for a possible military conflict."

"Other measures that we consider necessary will be taken in order to neutralize all these attempts to project force in the direction of Russia," Grushko said, adding that the Russian army is closely monitoring it.

"In any case, the interests of our security and defense capabilities will be guaranteed," he added.

"Kyiv independent" reminds that Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia have been raising the alarm for several months about the growing Russian threat to the Baltic region and the Alliance as a whole.

As they prepare for a possible conflict, the three nations have agreed to build a Baltic defense line in the coming years to strengthen the eastern border with Belarus and Russia.

Lithuania, a Baltic state that borders the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, has blocked and fortified a bridge over the Neman River, connecting it to the Russian exclave. The country has also drawn up plans to relocate a quarter of its population in the event of war.