Amid rising tensions between NATO and Russia, Moscow and Belarus are holding military exercises starting on Friday that include "planning the use of nuclear weapons" and testing ballistic missiles, the state-run Tass news agency reported.

NATO said Friday it's bulking up its defensive posture on its eastern flank bordering Belarus, Russia and Ukraine with new equipment to deter potential Russian aggression following an incursion by Russian drones into Polish territory.

NATO said Friday it's bulking up its defensive posture on its eastern flank bordering Belarus, Russia and Ukraine with new equipment to deter potential Russian aggression after an incursion by Russian drones into Polish territory.

WOHYN, Poland (AP) — Multiple Russian drones crossed into Poland in what European officials described Wednesday as a deliberate provocation, causing NATO to send fighter jets to shoot them down. A NATO spokesman said it was the first time the alliance confronted a potential threat in its airspace.

In the years since Russia invaded Ukraine, NATO has focused on defending its own territory first and resisted lower-level harassment from Russia, like acts of sabotage and intimidation