Russia strengthens Baltic Fleet to counter NATO

(Baonghean.vn) - Russia's Izvestia newspaper reported on October 26 that Moscow is reinforcing the Baltic Fleet in Kaliningrad with two small warships equipped with long-range cruise missiles to counter the worrying increase in the presence of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in the region. However, the information has not been officially confirmed by Russia.

Russian naval corvettes with the Nastoichivy and Admiral Gorshkov destroyers anchored in the bay of the Russian fleet base in the Kaliningrad region, Russia, July 19, 2015. Photo: Reuters.

The newspaper quoted an unnamed military source as saying that the two warships Serpukhov and Zeleny Dol had entered the Baltic Sea and would soon join a newly formed division there.
The information has not been officially confirmed by Moscow, but it will add to tensions in the Baltic, an area that has been tense since Russia annexed the Crimean peninsula in 2014. According to the newspaper, Russia's Baltic fleet will also receive three more small warships equipped with similar long-range cruise missiles before the end of 2020.

The information was released as NATO is planning to increase its largest presence in the region bordering Russia since the Cold War, in order to counter Moscow.

The news is likely to cause concern in Poland and Lithuania, which share land borders with Kaliningrad. Earlier this month, Russia deployed nuclear-capable Iskander-M missiles to Kaliningrad, close to Europe, a move that angered Lithuania and Poland.

The Swedish Ministry of Defense also expressed concern about Russia's new move in the Baltic Sea, saying it would increase tensions.

Lan Ha

(According to Reuters)