Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that Baltic Fleet ships will “perform training tasks to defend the sea lanes and fleet bases.”
Moscow is escalating the tension following the decision of Sweden and Finland to join NATO.
Dozens of Russian ships took part in military exercises in the Baltic Sea on Thursday. It is noted that NATO also conducts annual naval exercises in the Baltic, under the name “Baltops 22” which will continue until June 17.
Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that Baltic Fleet ships will “perform training tasks to defend the sea lanes and fleet bases.”
He reported that 60 ships and 40 aircraft participated in the maneuvers that will also take place on land in training fields in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.
Russian naval exercises are taking place amid heightened tensions between Moscow and NATO following Helsinki and Stockholm’s decision to apply for membership in the alliance following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Sweden-Finland accession approved – currently blocked from Turkey- Russia will be done the only country outside NATO in the Baltic Sea.
In support of Finland and Sweden joining NATO, US Chief of Staff General Mark Miley was in Stockholm on Saturday with the USS Kearsage, the largest US warship ever to dock in Stockholm.
Meanwhile, Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov and his French counterpart Thierry Barkard had a telephone conversation during which they discussed the situation in Ukraine and the Saleh region of West Africa, according to TASS.
