Moscow, June 6 (RHC)-- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has strongly denounced the ongoing military drills by NATO in Eastern Europe, threatening to take unspecified measures to respond to increased activity by the Western military bloc near its borders.

At a joint news conference with his Finnish counterpart, Timo Soini, in Moscow on Monday, Lavrov said the Kremlin is worried about the movement of NATO infrastructure towards Russia’s borders.

This comes as the U.S.-led military coalition has begun 10-day exercises, involving some 31,000 troops from Poland, the U.S., and 17 other NATO nations.  Military preparedness and cooperation between allied commands and troops are expected to be tested during the drills.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the Russian foreign minister warned that the Kremlin will take adequate measures to counter NATO activity in the Baltic region and its eastward expansion.  Lavrov said that Moscow will invoke the “sovereign right to guarantee security with measures proportionate to the current risks.”

Senior officials in Moscow have repeatedly accused NATO of seeking confrontation, describing its military buildup as a threat to security in Europe.