Russian destroyer pursues German Bavaria”: New tensions in the Baltic Sea!

Russian destroyer pursues German Bavaria”: New tensions in the Baltic Sea!

The Russian destroyer “Vice-Admiral Kulakov” pursued the German frigate “Bayern” into the Baltic Sea on Monday. This happened as part of an annual NATO exercise that started in Rostock. While the frigate “Bayern” was already conducting its exercises in the North Atlantic, the destroyer followed the German naval unit along the Norwegian coast unimpressed after its maneuver in the Kolafjord. Loud Mercury Russia and NATO are repeatedly presenting a tense military confrontation in the Baltic Sea.

Typically, NATO exercises such as Baltops take place in June and Russian naval exercises in July. This year, however, that order could change as Russia has announced a full-scale naval exercise, according to expert Sebastian Bruns. While the “Bayern” operated with the submarine “U 33” and other NATO units, two Russian destroyers remained in the Kolafjord.

Monitoring and Concern

After completing her exercises, the “Vice-Admiral Kulakov” set course for the “Bayern”. The German crew was informed in good time about the following destroyer. Danish naval units and federal police ships observed the event. Christoph Ploß, the federal government's maritime coordinator, expressed his concerns in this context and called for additional protective measures for German ports.

He highlighted the urgency of investing in cyber security and converting bridges for tanks. In this context, former Federal Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock appealed for increased cooperation between the Baltic Sea states to improve regional security. She spoke of an increased hybrid threat situation, which includes, among other things, interruptions to data lines and damage to power cables.

Russian military exercises and geopolitical tensions

The activity of Russian troops in the Baltic Sea has increased recently. At the same time as the NATO exercises, Russia has launched a large-scale military exercise in its Baltic Fleet, involving over 20 warships and boats, including corvettes and missile boats. This exercise also includes Il-38 anti-submarine aircraft and attack helicopters, such as RND reported.

In May, the Russian army carried out a major military exercise in Kaliningrad in which the firing of Iskander missiles was simulated. These missiles can be equipped with conventional or nuclear warheads and have a range of up to 500 kilometers. At the same time, Vladimir Putin threatened to attack further targets in Ukraine if the USA provided long-range missiles. These tensions in the Baltic Sea region have increased significantly since the start of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, while Sweden and Finland have applied to join NATO.

The geopolitical situation remains tense, and high-ranking Russian politicians, including former President Dmitry Medvedev, have even threatened to station nuclear weapons in the Baltic Sea region. Developments in the region require continued vigilance and international cooperation to counter the increased military presence.