The North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) has been monitoring the war in Ukraine closely and preparing its forces to respond to Russian aggression, if the conflict spills over the country’s borders. The military alliance is made up of 30 members and can call upon one of the largest fighting forces in the world.
At present the majority of NATO’s warships remain stationed in their respective member states.
According to Armed Forces.EU, Russia’s navy is estimated to be 314 strong and include 16 destroyers.
Moscow’s superior strength at sea compared to Ukraine has allowed it to establish a stranglehold on the Black Sea and cut off supply routes to Kyiv’s southern cities.
Russia’s forces have already seized the settlements of Melitopol and Kherson, while Mariupol has been besieged practically since the conflict began, nearly three weeks ago.
What is NATO?
Formed after the conclusion of World War Two in 1949, NATO initially was made up of 12 founding members.
During the event of an armed attack against any one member state, other NATO allies will come to their aid.
Today, the alliance is made up of 30 members, including the UK, US, Canada, France and Germany.
