6 soldiers from the US-led NATO mission Died in Afghan helicopter.

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Kabul (AFP) – Six soldiers from the US-led NATO mission fighting Taliban insurgents in Afghanistan were killed in a helicopter crash on Tuesday, with NATO officials saying it was not a suspected militant strike.

However the Taliban immediately claimed responsibility for the deaths, using their main Twitter account to report that their fighters had shot down a US helicopter in the province of Zabul.

The incident was the single biggest loss of life for the NATO mission in Afghanistan since seven Georgian soldiers died when a suicide bomber blew up a truck loaded with explosives outside a base in Helmand province in June.

NATO starts large-scale maneuvers near Russia's European borders

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Large-scale maneuvers of NATO's rapid deployment forces have started near Russia's European borders.

These maneuvers, dubbed Steadfast Jazz, are NATO's largest ones within the last decade.

The maneuvers are taking place in the Baltic countries and Poland. Taking part are, in total, more than 6,000 troops, about 350 armed vehicles, 57 planes and helicopters, 11 overwater ships and 2 submarines.

Besides the alliance's forces, taking part are NATO's partners – Ukraine, Macedonia, Sweden and Finland.

scenario of this war game has an evident anti-Russian “flavor”. According to this scenario, NATO is repelling an attack of a certain state against the Baltic countries. It is not said what country is the aggressor, but the only neighbors of the Baltic states that are not taking part in the maneuvers are Russia and Belarus.