Russia holds naval drills in Baltic Sea during major NATO exercises

MOSCOW, June 9 - Russia's navy has conducted military drills in the Baltic Sea, practising unguided missile launches, bombing runs and missile strikes, it said, as major U.S.-NATO exercises also took place in the region, the Interfax news agency reported on Tuesday.

The NATO BALTOPS naval exercise, which began on June 4 and runs until June 20, are the biggest war games in the Baltic Sea this year, bringing together some 20 vessels from 15 nations with around 6,000 personnel.

Russia carried out its own drills from June 8–9 in and near its Kaliningrad exclave, involving around 10 military aircraft, including fighter jets and bombers, as well as two small missile ships, according to Interfax.

Kaliningrad, located on the Baltic coast between NATO members Lithuania and Poland, has a population of around 1 million. It is heavily militarised and serves as the headquarters of Russia's Baltic Fleet.

President Vladimir Putin said in late May that Russia had all necessary means to destroy any force attempting to attack Kaliningrad after Lithuania's foreign minister said NATO should show Moscow it could penetrate the exclave. REUTERS