Russian Navy Holds Live Fire Drills in Baltic Sea near Latvia, Sweden
Dan Arkin
| 05/04/2018
Russian Navy Admiral Essen frigate launches Kalibr cruise missile (Archive photo: AP)
Russia began testing missiles with live munitions in the Baltic Sea on Wednesday, forcing countries to shut down airspace and alter sea traffic routes.
Reuters and Defense News report that Russia’s Baltic Fleet based in the Kaliningrad exclave is performing the exercise, which is taking place within Latvia’s exclusive economic zone as well as parts of the western Baltic Sea.
Both Latvia and Sweden have issued warnings to civilian air and sea traffic, closing certain travel lanes until the end of the exercise.
"It is a demonstration of force," Latvia’s Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis told Reuters. "It is hard to comprehend that it can happen so close to (our) country," he said. However, Latvian officials acknowledged that Russia is not violating any international regulations and has a right to exercise.
"Drills lasting for three days in the region where there is very intensive aviation traffic, and given everything else that is happening in relations between the West and Russia, I think that it is a rather provocative action," Latvia’s ambassador to Russia, Maris Riekstins, told Latvian Television.
On Wednesday, Russia also launched the Moscow Conference on International Security, which will focus on the outlook of the Middle East following the defeat of ISIS in Syria. More than 850 guests attend the forum, including defense ministers and delegations of military departments, experts, and academicians from 95 countries. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu opened the conference, stating that US-led anti-terrorist coalition failed to counter terrorism in Syria.
Russian Navy Admiral Essen frigate launches Kalibr cruise missile (Archive photo: AP)
Russia began testing missiles with live munitions in the Baltic Sea on Wednesday, forcing countries to shut down airspace and alter sea traffic routes.
Reuters and Defense News report that Russia’s Baltic Fleet based in the Kaliningrad exclave is performing the exercise, which is taking place within Latvia’s exclusive economic zone as well as parts of the western Baltic Sea.
Both Latvia and Sweden have issued warnings to civilian air and sea traffic, closing certain travel lanes until the end of the exercise.
"It is a demonstration of force," Latvia’s Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis told Reuters. "It is hard to comprehend that it can happen so close to (our) country," he said. However, Latvian officials acknowledged that Russia is not violating any international regulations and has a right to exercise.
"Drills lasting for three days in the region where there is very intensive aviation traffic, and given everything else that is happening in relations between the West and Russia, I think that it is a rather provocative action," Latvia’s ambassador to Russia, Maris Riekstins, told Latvian Television.
On Wednesday, Russia also launched the Moscow Conference on International Security, which will focus on the outlook of the Middle East following the defeat of ISIS in Syria. More than 850 guests attend the forum, including defense ministers and delegations of military departments, experts, and academicians from 95 countries. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu opened the conference, stating that US-led anti-terrorist coalition failed to counter terrorism in Syria.
