Moscow's actions are not a surprise. Artem Bulatov from the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs had already announced similar moves. — Options are being considered to strengthen the physical protection of ships flying the Russian flag. Escort of the merchant fleet by ships of the Russian Navy is still possible, he suggested.
On May 4, the destroyer “Severomorsk” left the port of Baltiysk in the area of Koenigsberg. Over the weekend, it took over the position of the Stavropol missile corvette, which had been operating in the area since late April.
There is a NATO reaction
However, Russia was not left alone at sea. NATO reacted quickly: under the command of Vice Admiral Maryla Ingham, NATO Standing Ship Team 1 was deployed to the Baltic Sea. The flagship is the German frigate “Sachsen”, which was replenishing ammunition in the port of Kiel on Tuesday.
The French guided missile frigate “Auvergne” also took action and immediately targeted “Severomorsk”. Additionally, France sent a patrol cutter and a reconnaissance ship.
A Russian destroyer, 163 m long and weighing 7,000. 400 tons, is part of a broader strategy: Russia has currently deployed many ships from the English Channel to the Baltic Sea. The reason is numerous incidents during which merchant ships linked to Russia were stopped while passing through the Baltic Sea.
