"The Baltic Sea region is facing an increasing range of threats, including suspected hybrid attacks from drones, alleged sabotage of underwater infrastructure and a steady flow of ageing oil tankers in the form of shadow fleet ships carrying crude oil from Russia. Last month, the British defence secretary said that a Russian spy ship had entered British waters and shone lasers at military pilots, warning that the UK faced a new era of threat from hostile countries."
"The hilly underwater landscape of the Baltic near Sweden makes it difficult to detect submarines because they can hide. Petkovic said Russia was increasing its capabilities and was producing one Kilo-class submarine a year in St Petersburg and the Kaliningrad enclave, positioned between Poland and Lithuania. He said it was undergoing a deliberate and constant modernisation programme of its ships."
Swedish naval forces encounter Russian submarines in the Baltic almost weekly and expect numbers to rise, particularly if a ceasefire or armistice occurs in Ukraine. Russia is continuously reinforcing and modernising its fleet, including production of roughly one Kilo-class submarine per year in St Petersburg and Kaliningrad. The Baltic faces diverse threats: suspected hybrid drone attacks, alleged underwater infrastructure sabotage, and shadow-fleet oil tankers carrying Russian crude. Detection is complicated by the hilly seabed near Sweden, allowing submarines to hide. Sweden and allies have increased anti-submarine training, exemplified by Nato’s Playbook Merlin 25 exercise involving nine countries.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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