The US Marines on Sun. identified four Marines killed after an MV-22B Osprey aircraft crashed during a NATO training flight in Norway.
Capt. Tomkiewicz of Fort Wayne, IN; Capt. Reynolds of Leominster, MA; Gunnery Sgt. Speedy of Cambridge, OH; and Cpl. Moore of Catlettsburg, KY were assigned to the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing, II Marine Expeditionary Force.
NATO's military drills in the Arctic only escalate tensions between the West and Russia. NATO's continuously provocative attitude and persistent militarization of the High North generally threatens peace, stability and cooperation, and comes at a time when tensions are already high.
This has nothing to do with the war in Ukraine. It's simply a defensive drill to test Norway's ability to receive and manage allied reinforcements. As a member of the OSCE, Russia was invited to observe the Cold Response 2022 as a means to bolster collective security with the West, but refused.
Russia is the one that's been hard at work to militarize the Arctic, with Norway - NATO's listening post - particularly vulnerable. The worse things get for Russia in Ukraine, the greater the tension that could spill into northern Europe and the Arctic Circle. For NATO's northern flank, the neighborhood is getting tense.