The presence of Russian warships and security in the Baltic Sea region remains a particular focus for the German Navy, fleet commander Vice Admiral Axel Deertz, said on the sidelines of a conference in Kiel in northern Germany on Thursday.
“This is an area where the security situation has noticeably intensified, where a potential adversary is quite active and is behaving in an increasingly aggressive manner,” the commander warned at the International Seapower Symposium in Kiel.
Senior officers at the conference from Germany, the US and other NATO countries are discussing how to protect Europe’s northern flank.
Over the past few days, around 6,000 troops from 15 nations had been training on 20 ships during the Baltops NATO exercise in the Baltic Sea. The 55th Baltops exercise was once again led by the US Navy. The security of the Baltic Sea is crucial to the security of Europe and thus also of the US, said Vice Admiral Jeffrey T. Anderson, commander of the US Sixth Fleet.
Deertz highlighted the cooperation not only between the military, but also with the coastguard, the fisheries sector and customs. This results in a coordinated situational picture, allowing for a faster response.
With regard to the ‘shadow fleet’ with which Russia aims to circumvent sanctions imposed by Western supporters of Ukraine, the commander spoke of a "mutual escalation."
"It is very much in our interest that they have to focus more on their merchant ships with their naval units," he added.
Aggressiveness on the rise
Aggressiveness is gradually increasing, said Deertz. “We have rules dating back to the Cold War that both sides continue to adhere to. We know that there’s no point in bearing down on one another, so we keep our distance.”
The aim, he said, was to avoid misunderstandings. It would be disingenuous to claim that the risk of a military incident was zero. “No one needs to worry right now that they’ll be attacked tomorrow. But we simply have to keep our eyes open.”
The focus of the large-scale manoeuvre was on ensuring freedom of navigation in the Baltic Sea. According to the navy, it was also about robust deterrence.
The Baltic Sea is considered a strategically important body of water, particularly in light of Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine.
Russia is the only one of the nine Baltic Sea littoral states that is not a member of NATO.
