In an alarming development, Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent two warships to reinforce the Baltic fleet of the country in Kaliningrad. The move has come in response to reports that alliance defense ministers are pushing the NATO to deploy four battle groups in the Baltic area.
The two Russian warships that have been sent to the area are Buyan-class corvettes and they are loaded with nuclear-capable Kalibr cruise missiles that go by the codename Sizzler, reports International Business Times. They have a minimum range of 1,500 kilometers and are also said to be carrying conventional warhead.
According to secret military sources, the Serpukhov and Zelenv Dol have entered the Baltic Sea and would become part of the newly formed fleet. Notably, earlier this month, Russian Defense Ministry had said the two warships left their base in the Black Sea to join the naval force in the Mediterranean.
However, this is not all. Russia would be further bolstering its Baltic fleet and is expected to send three more small warships by the end of 2020. The Bastion and Bal land-based missile systems are also to be added and they are anti-ship missiles with a maximum range of 300 kilometers.
Meanwhile, Sweden has confirmed the presence of the two warships in the region, reports The Telegraph. The Defense Minister of the country, Peter Hultqvist said that they are worried by the presence of the warships in the Baltic Sea as the development would escalate the tension in the region and affect all the countries round the Baltic.
However, he did not give any more information. As for Moscow, it is silent but it goes without saying that the deployment will raise tension in Poland and Lithuania, the twin countries that share borders with Kaliningrad and are in a frenzied state since 2014 when Russia annexed Crimea. In the beginning of this month too, the twin countries had protested when Russia moved nuclear-capable Iskander-M missiles into Kaliningrad.
It is worth mentioning here that the deployment of Russian warships comes at a time when NATO is planning its biggest build-up since the Cold War, generating fears of a third world war.
