Russia, Algeria Joint Drills on The Doorstep of Southern Europe, Threat and Danger to the West

Russia and Algeria are conducting joint military exercises from 16 November to 28 November in the Hammaguir region of Bechar in northwestern Algeria, just over the border with Morocco.

That means the Russian military is conducting activities on the doorstep of southern Europe at a time of proxy war between NATO and Russia, motivated by the war in Ukraine.

Military ties between Algiers and Moscow have been intensifying in recent months with various military exercises between the two nations and with other countries, and are continuing to develop with the latest military exercises in Bechar, which officially take the form of tactical anti-terrorist training.

Desert Shield 2022 involve about 200 soldiers from both countries’ counterterrorism forces. According to observers, the drills are considered the largest since Algiers and Moscow established military cooperation during the Soviet Union. During the exercise, the forces are scheduled to practice search, detection and elimination of terrorist groups in the desert setting.