Russia beefing up western flank in response to NATO - defence minister

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu attends a session at the State Duma, the lower house of parliament, in Moscow, Russia, April 19, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia is refining its defences on its western flank in response to what it regards as NATO's aggressive actions, Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday, according to Russian news agencies. Shoigu was also quoted as saying that he regarded NATO's military build-up along Russia's borders as proof of the Western military alliance's anti-Russian stance. (Reporting by Maria Kiselyova; Writing by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Andrew Osborn)