The US-led BALTOPS exercises are set to take place in Russia's backyard. NATO has demonstrably beefed up its presence in the Baltic region despite Russia's concerns. Apart from the Spring Storm drills in Estonia, with 10,000 troops from over a dozen countries involved, naval exercises called Baltic Protector have kicked off.
The US Navy's USS Mount Whitney has passed through the Danish strait Great Belt and sailed into the Baltic Sea, according to the AIS naval monitoring resource. A day earlier, it became known that Canada's HMCS St. John's had sailed into the region, the Russian website Gazeta.ru reports.
Both ships are expected to participate in the annual US-led NATO BALTOPS drills along with ships, aircraft and landing forces from over a dozen other nations in mid-June.
Earlier in May, Baltic Protector, a series of NATO maritime tactical exercises across Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea region and shore-landing drills, kicked off. The multinational war games will involve a total of 3,000 military personnel and 17 vessels from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
Baltic Protector is comprised of the UK's Amphibious Task Group, including flagship HMS Albion, a helicopter support vessel, a frigate and a military ferry, as well as the Danish command ship HDMS Absalon, a Dutch amphibious ship and two Norwegian missile boats.
NATO has demonstrably beefed up its presence in the Baltic region in recent…
