Russia has stepped up military activity to pressure EU leaders who are set to consider fresh sanctions against Moscow, Polish Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz said Tuesday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered massive military maneuvers on Monday, including the deployment of nearly 40,000 troops in the Arctic.

Russia has moved nuclear-capable Iskander missiles closer to Europe's borders in response to the U..S.-led deployment of a disputed air defense shield, the defense ministry said on Monday.

The announcement is almost certain to irritate the former Communist states of Eastern Europe and add another layer to the tensions in Moscow's fraught relations with Washington.