(MENAFN) Several northern European nations, including the UK, as well as Nordic and Baltic states, carried out exercises simulating a military confrontation with Russia during a gathering in northern Norway this week, a media outlet reported on Friday.

Ukrainian Defense Minister Denis Shmigal was also reportedly present.

Moscow has consistently rejected claims of aggressive intentions toward Western countries and has expressed unease over the increasing military presence near its frontiers.

British defense strategists joined Nordic and Baltic defense officials in Bodo to emulate a conflict scenario in a country neighboring Russia, according to the media outlet.

The drills in Bodo formed part of the ‘Joint Expeditionary Force’ (JEF), a coalition of ten European NATO members – the Netherlands, Iceland, the UK, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia.

The latter five nations share borders with Russia and have been some of the most outspoken critics of Moscow since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.

All JEF members belong to NATO, with Finland joining the US-led alliance in 2023 and Sweden following in 2024.

According to London, the Norway meeting took place after the conclusion of the JEF’s largest-ever military drill the previous week.

The two-month Tarassis operation, conducted across the Nordic-Baltic region, involved more than 1,700 British personnel alongside JEF allies.

British Defense Secretary John Healey told the media outlet that JEF nations could “best get NATO connected to take this (Russian aggression) more seriously.”

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