The U.S. military told Newsweek it rejects Russia’s warning over recent rocket drills held in the neighboring NATO alliance nation Estonia. The rocket drills are the first of their time, and are taking place during a time of heightened tensions across the Baltics and neighboring Belarus.

U.S. Army Europe’s 41st Field Artillery Battalion began deploying a battery of multiple launch rocket systems Tuesday near Estonia’s village of Tapa to conduct training exercises as part of Operation Rail Rush. The drill, held jointly by about 70 personnel from U.S. Army 1st Battalion, 6th Field Artillery Regiment and Estonian Defense Forces’ 1st Infantry Brigade, is the U.S. battalion’s first outside of Germany and caught international attention.

Hours after U.S. Army Europe announced the drills on Monday, the Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement criticizing the maneuvers said to be taking place about 70 miles from the country’s border…

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