OSLO (Reuters) - Norway has called off two military exercises involving primarily NATO troops in its Arctic region in order to contain the spread of t.
Норвегия отменила крупные военные учения из-за коронавируса rg.ru - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from rg.ru Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
By Reuters Staff
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OSLO (Reuters) - Norway has called off two military exercises involving primarily NATO troops in its Arctic region in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the government said on Tuesday.
Around 3,400 foreign troops had been scheduled to take part in the Rein I and Joint Viking manoeuvres, including just over 1,000 from the United States and close to 1,000 Britons, Defence Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen told a news conference.
As the northernmost European member of the NATO alliance, and sharing a border with Russia, Norway regularly trains its own troops alongside coalition forces to prepare them for winter warfare.
Corona cancels NATO exercise
January 26, 2021
NATO’s large annual winter exercise in Norway called “Joint Viking” was halted on Tuesday, because of what Defense Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen called “a demanding infection situation” in the country. Many thought it never should have begun, since it involved the arrival of 3,000 soldiers from abroad in the midst of a pandemic.
All NATO soldiers taking part in the Joint Viking exercises were tested on arrival before going into quarantine, like here at Bardufoss. Now the entire winter exercise is being cancelled because of infection concerns in Norway as a whole. PHOTO: Forsvaret/Øyvind Baardsen
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OSLO Norway has called off two military exercises involving primarily NATO troops in its Arctic region in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus, the government said on Tuesday.
Around 3,400 foreign troops had been scheduled to take part in the Rein I and Joint Viking maneuvers, including just over 1,000 from the United States and close to 1,000 Britons, Defence Minister Frank Bakke-Jensen told a news conference.
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As the northernmost European member of the NATO alliance, and sharing a border with Russia, Norway regularly trains its own troops alongside coalition forces to prepare them for winter warfare.