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Where It All Started

The Russian Federation had annexed the Ukrainian territory of Crimea in March 2014. Though it was a propaganda success for Russia, it raised the eyebrows of many European countries. It created a possibility that Russia is keen to annex all the ex-soviet countries of Europe. They now see it as a country with potential and unpredictable hazards.

Unrest in NATO

As a response, NATO has committed to deploying four battle groups by July 2017. Each group contains 4000 troops. The troops are sent to Estonia, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania and headed by US, Britain, Canada and German. The United States has asked for the support of other European countries like Denmark, France, and Italy. The forces to be filled in the four battle groups include marine soldiers, infantry, and drones. The troops will also be backed up by the Reaction or Rotation Forces that will move from Poland to Luthinia on a rotation basis.

The Russian Move

The move by NATO has rung siren bells to Russia. So Putin in his move has strengthened his Baltic control. This year in early October two small warships Zeleny Dol and Serpukhov have left the base in the Black Sea to join the Russian fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, Kaliningrad.

What are the Ships Capable of?

The warships are Buyan class corvettes. The variants of these corvettes can carry nuclear-capable Kalibr cruise missiles. Hence it is also difficult to confirm whether these ships carry only conventional warheads or nuclear ones. The missiles, nicknamed as Sizzler have a range of 1500 kilometers.

Reaction of Other States

The Sweden government has also confirmed the presence of the warships in the region. It has expressed concerns that the move might aggravate the tensions around the Baltic region. When nuclear-capable Iskander-M missiles were moved into Kaliningrad last month the twin countries Poland and Lithunia had protested against it. The new addition can similarly fire more protests.

Reaction from Russia

The Russian defense ministry has however cleared its stance stating that the missiles are used to fire cruise missiles at the militants in Syria. Moreover, three more warships with similar missiles will join the Baltic fleet by 2020. It had also confirmed that Bal and Bastion missile systems which are land-based, will join the Baltic fleet. They are mobile defense, anti-ship systems with an effective range of 300 kilometers. 

What To Expect?

Since the cold war ended, NATO has taken steps to restrain Russia from creating tension in the region. The positioning of the battle groups is the largest move ever taken. However, it has worsened the situation. There has been an increased tension between Russia and The West. The growing unrest and the involvement of the super-powers are clear indications of an upcoming global war.