NATO shows its military might in giant exercises

NATO has launched its Trident Juncture 18 military exercise in central and eastern Norway, the surrounding areas of the North Atlantic and the Baltic Sea, including Iceland and the airspace of Finland and Sweden.

It is NATO's largest exercise since the end of the Cold War, bringing together around 50,000 personnel from all 29 Allies, plus partners Finland and Sweden. Around 65 vessels, 250 aircraft and up to 10,000 vehicles will participate.

According to NATO, the purpose of Trident Juncture is "to ensure that NATO forces are trained, able to operate together, and ready to respond to any threat from any direction."

The Russian embassy in Oslo said it considered Trident Juncture an "anti-Russian" exercise as the country shares a 198-kilometre (123-mile) border with Norway in the Far North.