Russia's defence minister has claimed the country's military buildup near Ukraine is a response to what he described as threats from NATO.
Speaking during a visit to a naval base in Gadzhiyevo, Russia on Tuesday, Sergei Shoigu said the deployment in western Russia was part of readiness drills that would continue for two weeks.
In the past three weeks, the Russian military has deployed two armies and three airborne formations to western regions in a move that has worried Ukraine.
It has also provoked the ire of NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg, who described the deployment as "unjustified, unexplained and deeply concerning" earlier on Tuesday.
Shoigu said the Russian exercise was provoked by what he said were efforts by the United States and its NATO allies to beef up their forces near Russia's borders, "threatening" Russia. “The troops have shown their full readiness to fulfil tasks to ensure the country's security,” he said.