Russian maneuvers in the Baltic Sea, complete tension with NATO

Several dozen Russian ships took part in military maneuvers in the Baltic Sea on Thursday in the wake of growing tensions around this strategic area where NATO is also currently conducting maneuvers.

“As part of this exercise, strategic naval groups from the Baltic Fleet have left their bases and deployed in specific areas,” the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement.

According to him, about 60 ships and 40 aircraft and helicopters will take part in these maneuvers, which will also take place on land at training centers in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad.

On Tuesday, about twenty Russian ships were already engaged in an exercise in the area.

NATO has been conducting major annual naval maneuvers in the Baltic Sea since Sunday, known as the “Baltops 22”, which runs through June 17.

This intense military action has been part of the context of strong tensions between Moscow and the West since Russia launched a military offensive in Ukraine in late February.

The Baltic Sea, a strategic region, has been the focus of much attention over the past month as Moscow has formally fielded candidates from Sweden and Finland for NATO, which it considers to be counterproductive to its interests.

Such membership, currently blocked by Turkey, would make the Baltic Sea a “NATO lake”, with Russia and other rivers already part of the alliance.

As a sign of new interest in the area, the American Chief of Staff, General Mark Millie, arrived in Stockholm on Saturday aboard the USS Kearsarge, a powerful helicopter carrier designed to deploy forces on enemy shores.