Russia calls US-South Korea drills preparation for war

MOSCOW, March 25 (Reuters) - Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that joint U.S.-South Korea military drills amounted to "open preparation for war".

Washington and Seoul launched their annual large-scale exercises in South Korea in mid-March, saying they were defensive and designed to test readiness against potential military threats from North Korea.

"Officially, they (the drills) were described as defensive exercises, but judging by the activities carried out during them and the equipment deployed, these manoeuvres are nothing less than open preparations for war," Zakharova said.