Putin stages huge show of force in Baltic Sea and Pacific Ocean amid setbacks in his war in Ukraine
- Some 40 warships and 25 aircraft took part in naval drills in the Baltic Sea
- Russia’s drills come a day after NATO states kicked off their own annual drills
Vladimir Putin has staged a huge show of military strength in the Baltic Sea and Pacific Ocean today amid setbacks in his war in Ukraine.
Some 40 surface warships and 25 aircraft took part in naval drills in the Baltic Sea involving some 3,500 service personnel, which is scheduled to last until June 15.
Russia shares the sea with seven NATO countries plus soon-to-join Sweden. The seven alliance states bordering the Baltic Sea are Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Germany.
The drills involving thousands of military personnel still went ahead despite Russia currently facing several setbacks in Ukraine, including infighting among its own ranks.
Russia’s drills come just a day after NATO member states kicked off their own annual Baltic drills. On the NATO side, 6,000 personnel, 50 ships and more than 45 aircraft are taking part, with Finland participating for the first time as an alliance member, the United States Navy said.
Some 40 surface warships and 25 aircraft took part in naval drills in the Baltic Sea and Pacific Ocean today
Russia put on a show of military might today as it deployed warships in drills to the Baltic Sea and Pacific Ocean
The drills involving thousands of military personnel still went head despite setbacks for Vladimir Putin (pictured) and his men in Ukraine
‘An operational exercise with the Fleet’s groupings commanded by Baltic Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Vladimir Vorobyov has begun on June 5 in the Baltic Sea and at combat training ranges in the Kaliningrad region,’ said a spokesman for the Russian defence ministry.
In the Russian Far East, from 6,400 miles away, more than 60 naval and support vessels and 35 aircraft were sent to undertake exercises based in the seas of Japan and Okhotsk off the Pacific coast.
More than 11,000 troops in total were involved in Putin’s strategic war games.
A statement from the Russian defence ministry said: ‘An operational exercise of all-arms forces of the [Pacific] Fleet is being held in the offshore maritime zone from June 5 to 20 under the guidance of Admiral Viktor Liina, the Fleet Commander.’
Footage showed warships sailing from Vladivostok and engaging in the Kremlin’s military drills.
The drills come amid major setbacks in Putin’s war in Ukraine. His forces are currently in a tussle over territory with Russian partisans in the Belgorod region as he faces unprecedented attacks by pro-Ukrainian forces on his territory.
The Russian army claimed to have repelled the ‘sabotage group of Ukrainian terrorists’ seeking to cross the border near the village of Novaya Tavolzhanka, in the southern region of Belgorod.
Fighting around the village follows last month’s dramatic armed incursion from Ukraine into the Belgorod region which forced Russia to use its artillery and air force on home soil.
The border breach was claimed by anti-Kremlin Russian ultra-nationalists.
The drills involving thousands of military personnel still went head despite Russia currently facing several setbacks in Ukraine
Warships engage in Russia war games in the Baltic Sea and Pacific Ocean today
Footage showed missiles on display, taking part in Russian naval drills today in the Baltic Sea
A helicopter takes off over Russian warships. Some 40 surface warships and 25 aircraft took part in naval drills in the Baltic Sea
More than 60 naval and support vessels and 35 aircraft were sent to undertake exercises based in the seas of Japan
Ukraine has consistently not claimed responsibility for attacks on Russian soil, but presidential adviser Mykhaylo Podolyak said Sunday the situation in the border areas ‘should be viewed as the future of Russia’.
It was also revealed that the Russian mercenary force Wagner had taken captive a lieutenant colonel from Putin’s regular forces in the latest example of bitter infighting in Russian ranks.
This follows claims by the mercenaries that the regular Russian army targeted their ranks with mines, as a clip showed their sappers clearing the explosive devices from a road.
Wagner mercenaries have been fighting for Putin in Ukraine and are credited with seizing the embattled city of Bakhmut from Ukrainian armed forces after months of bloody warfare. But its success has seemingly angered regular Russian army commanders.
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